


Old Houses

by words_reign_here



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Stiles, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, I didn't even kind of succeed, I smooshed stuff together from different seasons, I tried to keep it canon, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Recreational Drug Use, References to Child Abuse, Slow Burn, Smut, Weapons, i pull zero punches when it comes to kate argent, spy AU, written from a prompt on tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 05:07:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 66,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10404591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_reign_here/pseuds/words_reign_here
Summary: Written from a prompt I found on tumblr you can findhere.Basically, a 21 Jump Street meets Teen Wolf meets shadowy government agency.





	1. Chapter 1

Beacon Hills High School was a picture of small town sensibilities. Clipped grass, slightly skewed notice board and garish sports team banners propped at odd intervals along the fence.

Stiles took one look at it and groaned. “You know, one day I’m going to grow into my chiseled good looks - then where will you be?”

"Wondering who swapped my son out for a changeling." John said, not missing a beat as he hefted the painfully high school backpack into Stiles’ lap.

Stiles glared at it like it’d been the one to insult him. “I’m pretty sure it’s your job as parent to encourage my self esteem or something.” He pointed out. “The teenage ego is a fragile thing.”

"Good thing you’re not really a teenager then." His dad said, having far too much fun with the situation as far as Stiles is concerned. Stiles was going to make sure their next job required undercover work at a retirement home - then they’ll see who’s smirking. "You all set?"

Stiles was already half-way through his final checks, making sure the hidden pockets of the backpack are secure but readily accessible.

Number one million and seventy seven on the list of why Stiles hates high schools: they tend to frown on concealed weapons. His Glock nine mil is at home as a result, making Stiles feel like he’s walking around without skin. He’s had to make do with only a smuggled switchblade and a few charms. Not ideal while investigating possible werewolf activity but still better than nothing.

"Ready as I’ll ever be." Stiles said and hauled himself out of the Land Cruiser. Beacon Hills High was even more garishly cheerful in full sunlight. He actually had to squint at the school to save his eyesight, Screw his life _so hard_.

Then his dad grinned and said, “Have fun at school!” Because Stiles has been cursed with an asshole for a father.

Stiles gives him the stinkeye as he hefted the bag over his shoulder. “Be safe.”

His dad sobered a little, as he always did with those words. With jobs like theirs it’s hard not to. “You too. Call if you’ve got anything.”

On his list of things to get:

  1. Find Derek Hale. He had left New York in his sister’s blue Mustang but they hadn’t seen him since Ohio. He wasn’t an alpha so he wasn’t the one to turn Scott McCall. All indications pointed to the fact that he was out to avenge his sister’s death and was deemed dangerous.  
  2. Find Scott McCall. After a late night walk through the woods after a lacrosse game, McCall had been attacked and bitten by a rogue alpha.
  3. Find the rogue alpha. Capture, if possible. Kill if not.
  4. Find the Argent family. Keep them under close watch. Do not attempt to infiltrate. Do not attempt to befriend.



Stiles nodded and tapped the door twice. He stepped back and his dad pulled away from the curb with a final nod.

He turned and looked around. Beacon Hills High was like almost every other high school he had gone to. Square buildings, two story, and a weird underground tunnel system that couldn’t be correctly mapped because apparently the tunnels moved.

Yep. Exactly like all the other high schools he had gone undercover in.

Except New Mexico. New Mexico was its own class of weird. Stiles shivered in the morning light when he thought about the three sleepless months he spent there.

“Excuse me,” A girl said. She was looking up at the building with speculative eyes. “Can you tell me where the front office is?”

She was pretty and way too wholesome to be near Stiles.

“No.” Stiles said.

The girl’s face fell. “Oh.” She said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No!” Stiles said and laughed. “Sorry, I’m new. Today’s my first day.”

The girl’s face lit up and she laughed. “Figures I would find the only other new person. I’m Allison Argent.” She said and stuck out her hand.

_Of course you are_.

There went mission rule number four, right out the window. Stiles checked his watch. He broke his own record time for rule breaking.

Stiles shook her hand and then gestured to the front doors. “Stiles Stilinski. Maybe we can find it together?”  

Stiles knew exactly where it was. He had spent the last week studying the blueprints of the school and probably knew it better than anyone else.

“Yes, awesome.” Allison said. “I don’t know about you, but we move a lot and the whole stepping-into-school-for-the-first-time-and-everyone-staring is super unnerving. Especially in a small town like this where everyone has gone to school together since they were like, in diapers.”

“Dad was former military so yeah, we moved _a lot_.” Stiles said. He pointed at the front doors. “I could break out into Gaston’s song from Beauty and the Beast as we walk in so that everyone is staring at me, if you’d like?”

Allison laughed and Stiles had to wonder if she really did belong to the Argents. Maybe she was adopted. That would make more sense. The intel that HQ had on the Argents had taken Stiles and his father a week of reading just to get the highlights. Allison was a wild card, untrained and apparently ignorant in what her family really did.

Which honestly made no sense to Stiles since, after her mom, she was the one to be in charge.

“That’s ok.” Allison said and looped her arm through Stiles’ and walked confidently the way that only beautiful girls knew how. “I’ll just pretend like one of us knows where we are going.”

Stiles opened the door for her (his mom raised him to be a gentleman and he did what he could to honor her memory) and they walked in.

Everyone stared.

“My god.” Stiles muttered.

Allison flipped her hair over her shoulder and Stiles directed them to the office. Allison collected their schedules (because she had somehow become the person in charge in the last five minutes) and they huddled over them even as the bell rang.

“Oh god, we’re late. Being new and walking in late to class is even worse than walking into school.” Allison muttered.

“We have first hour together. My offer to sing still stands.” Stiles pointed out. He pulled out a pen from his bag and scribbled his given name from the schedule.

“What was that?” She asked.

“Something we will never speak of again.” Stiles said. He straightened up. “It’s now or never, kid.” He said.

They got directions from the secretary and made their way to the class. Outside the class Stiles took a deep breath and nodded. He looked to Allison who looked at the door and nodded. “Let’s do this.” She muttered.

Stiles opened the door first and Allison went in. Stiles followed behind and their teacher looked incredibly unimpressed.

“Yes?” She prompted.

Allison and Stiles handed their schedules over.

As she wrote their names down and grabbed books for them, Stiles looked over the classroom.

He saw Scott McCall in the back of the room, looking from Allison to Stiles back to Allison. Stiles met his eyes for a brief instant before he looked back to the teacher handing them both books. There were seats in front of and next to Scott. Stiles took the one next to him and Allison sat in front of him.

“Hey, Stiles. Do you have a pen?” Allison whispered.

He did. About twelve of them in his backpack.

“Sorry.” Stiles said and held up the one in his hand. “All I got.” Then he turned to Scott who was watching them both with wide eyes. He looked like a caged puppy, one who didn’t know who he wanted to greet first. “Hey, buddy. Do you have a pen my friend can borrow?”

Scott handed the one in his hand over wordlessly.

“Thanks.” Allison said and turned away.

Scott blinked at the back of her head a couple of times before turning to Stiles who was already holding a pen out to him. Scott looked at it, then to Stiles, who grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

Scott laughed.

Stiles reached into his bag once more and saw the redhead next to him eyeing him.

“Hey, Red.” Stiles said and smirked. “How’s it goin’?”

She rolled her eyes and Stiles chuckled. Then he sat back and proceeded to not pay attention.

***

Whoever did the schedule for Stiles should have been given a high five. Maybe a pat on the back. He was in five of Scott’s classes and lived two streets over from him.

“So.” Scott said and leaned against Stiles’ locker.

“I’m free this Friday at seven. You can pick me up. I haven’t seen the new Marvel movie. But be warned, I _do_ kiss and tell, so bring your A game.” Stiles said with a small grin.

“What?” Scott said and blinked. “You haven’t seen the new Marvel movie?”

Stiles looked at him. “ _That’s_ what you got from that?”

Scott shrugged.

Stiles looked at him and shook his head.

“What I was going to say is that lacrosse tryouts are tomorrow. You should come.” Scott said. There was an unsubtle way of Scott looking at Stiles from head to toe. “You look like you could make the team.”

Stiles felt like he was being checked out but all the research on McCall said that his tastes were distinctly towards the female kind-

But hey, who was Stiles to judge? He was pretty sure he was completely straight until Alaska, 2015.

“Lacrosse? Dude. Is there a douchier sport?” Stiles asked and shouldered his bag. They headed out the front doors and Allison waved at him from her sporty little car. Lydia was talking with her and gave Stiles a mean side eye. Scott and Stiles waved back. Scott sighed.

“Not really but it’s all we got.” Scott said with a shrug. “Come on. It’ll be fun.” He said.

Stiles chewed on his lower lip and scanned the quickly emptying parking lot. There wasn’t a lot to see. A blue mini van in the back corner. A black Camaro near the exit. A silver truck in the middle of the lot and Stiles’ baby, near the front. Someone from HQ must have dropped it off after lunch. She was in the shop for weeks after the last mission’s debacle. He pretended that he was considering the offer.

“Fine.” Stiles said. “But I can’t promise I’ll be good or anything. I don’t even know what to do. Is it the ones with the nets on the sticks?” He mimed throwing a ball from one stick to the other.

Scott laughed. “You’ll learn. So yes?” He asked.

“I’m there.” He finally said. He pulled his phone out and checked the messages his father and him had been sending all day.

“Awesome!” Scott said and started to turn away. “See ya!”

“Hey, where are you going?” Stiles asked. Scott was making his way to the other end of the school, near the forest. The Camaro near the exit roared to life. Stiles didn’t like the way the Camaro idled, waiting for Scott to move in a direction.

“Home.” He said and pointed in a vague direction.

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Get in.” He said and tipped his head at the Jeep.

“Oh, no. It’s cool. I’m used to walking.” Scott said.

“It’s not a problem. Get in.” Stiles said.

Scott finally relented and got in. Stiles sent one final message to his dad and tossed his phone in the console. He left the parking lot and asked for directions, like he didn’t know exactly where Scott lived.

The black Camaro followed him.

Stiles nodded along with the conversation while keeping an eye on the Camaro behind him. He couldn’t see much beyond black aviators and he was starting to become concerned. He didn’t want Scott to find everything out so quickly. He needed to build a rapport with the kid before he broke the news to him.

Because Stiles was about 89.5% sure that Scott had no idea what was going on with him or what kind of world he had stepped into.

Stiles pressed a small button hidden behind his steering wheel and he thanked god that his father was on patrol. HQ had designed a number of upgrades for his Jeep and his dad’s Land Cruiser. Along with GPS that both Stiles and his dad could use from nifty watches they always wore, there was an alert system installed. One long press of the button meant, _This is important, get here as soon as possible._ One short press meant, _I need you here_ right now. Three short taps was a life or death situation. Stiles had never pressed that button more than once.  

They were still ten minutes away from Scott’s house when he saw the red and blue lights flashing in his rear view mirror, behind the Camaro that was still tailing them. Whoever was in it, was not subtle.  

Scott saw them as well. “Dude.” He said. “You weren’t even speeding.”

Stiles sighed and pulled over, just like the Camaro did behind him.

The patrol car pulled up behind them and the Sheriff got out of his car.

“Shit, that’s the new Sheriff.” Scott hissed at Stiles. “I heard he is such a hard ass.”

Stiles pressed his lips into a thin line and rolled down his window.

“Son.” The Sheriff said and surveyed the inside of the Jeep with a grim smile. The Camaro turned back on and went around them at a reasonable speed. The Sheriff watched it and Scott handed Stiles his insurance and registration. “What do you think you're doing?”

“Just driving my new buddy Scott McCall home.” Stiles said. He gave his father a winning smile.

The Sheriff took his glasses off and sighed. “Did you even unpack your room yet?”

“No.” Stiles muttered and sighed. “I was going to work on it tomorrow-”

Scott cleared his throat.

“The day after tomorrow.” Stiles corrected.

“What’s tomorrow?” John asked but looked to Scott this time.

“I invited Stiles to come to lacrosse tryouts tomorrow.” Scott said. “Sir.” He added.

“Lacrosse?” John looked confused. “What in the hell- is that the one with the sticks and the nets?”

“That’s what I asked.” Stiles said. Then he shrugged. “You wanted me to do extracurriculars.”

“Be careful what you wish for.” John said. He shook his head. “Get what you can done tonight. Get your clothes out of boxes, at least. Ok? For me?”

“Will do, daddy-o.” Stiles nodded.

“There’s frozen lasagna-”

“Oh, my mom wants to meet Stiles.” Scott said as he scrolled through his phone. “She has dinner on the stove.”

“I-” Stiles started and shot a panicked look at his dad. He had to unpack his tactical gear that night and apply runes to the house.

“Really, he can eat you out of house and home-” John started.

Scott’s phone rang. “Hey mom.” He said.

Stiles looked at the Sheriff.

“Yeah, he’s right here. His dad pulled us over. No, not speeding. I think he was just wondering where Stiles was going. Well it sounds like he has some chores-” Scott stopped dead. “I-I don’t know, mom. I- uh, yes?” Scott looked at John. “He’s right here- yes, ma’am. Yes. Yes. I will. Ok. Uh-huh. Yes. Ok, I will. Yeah, hold on.” Scott looked wide eyed at the phone. “She wants to talk to the Sheriff.” Scott whispered and stared at his phone in abject fear.

Even John looked a little scared as he took the phone.

“This is Sheriff Stilinski.” He said. “Yes! Oh, it’s nice to meet you too. Beacon Hills General? Yeah, yep. Yes ma’am, overnight shift. Oh-” John looked to Stiles and he could read the apology on his face. His father was not getting him out of this one. “I couldn’t trouble you. No- it’s just. I mean, of course. Yes. Yes ma’am. He will be there. Well, thank _you_. Uh-huh. Bye.”

John handed the phone back to Scott and looked to Stiles. “If you are not on your best behavior, that woman might have you arrested. And I might have to do it.”

“Right.” Stiles said and let out a breath. Then he turned to Scott. “So. Dinner? Your place?”

Scott nodded.

“Son, don’t molest Scott in front of his mother.” John said and put his sunglasses back on.

“I can’t make any promises.” Stiles said. Scott gave the Sheriff a wide grin and waved.

John sighed and they left.

***

Melissa McCall was not what Stiles expected. But the deference that Scott showed her and the way that she had cowed his father (a professionally trained killer, once married to another professionally trained killer, who  _raised_ a professionally trained killer, and hunted supernatural creatures for crying out loud), made Stiles especially careful around her.

Scott put his bag down on the bench near the front. Stiles followed him to the kitchen where a woman that was shorter than both Stiles and Scott was putting tamales on a plate.

“Hey mom!” Scott said.

“Hi Scott.” His mom said. She eyed Stiles and Stiles felt immediately exposed like she knew he was not in high school and was there hunting werewolves. If she had asked right then, he probably would have confessed everything. “And you are Stiles.”

“Yes ma’am.” He said and waved, rather awkwardly.

She gave him a soft smile and that was it. Stiles was done.

Mothers were his soft spot.

The doctor that debriefed them after each mission theorized that it was the loss of his own mother so early in his life that gave him this weakness but there wasn’t a particular way to address that problem.

“Well, come on. Let’s go sit. I’m sure you boys are starved.” She waved them into the dining room and Stiles had to blink when he saw the spread. There was rice, tamales, red chile, homemade tortillas, and posole.

“Oh my god. I’ve died. Did I die? Did we get into an accident on the way home?” Stiles asked Scott.

“What are you talking about?” Scott said as he sat.

“It’s food. Like, real food.” Stiles said as he sat.

Scott looked at him like he was crazy.

“Unless I cook, there isn’t a lot of this happening.” Stiles said. “And I don’t really feel like cooking after school that much.”

“Well, you have an open invitation.” Melissa said as she sat. She waved at them. “Go on. Eat.”

Scott and Stiles fell on the food like starved animals.

By the time they were done, Stiles was groaning and holding his stomach. Scott was half asleep on the table. Melissa looked pleased.

“So Stiles. I hear you came all the way from Chicago.” Melissa said and leaned forward on her hands. She took a drink from her lemonade.

“Yes ma’am.” Stiles said.

“Elaine Vanderwert was telling me what a bright student you are. That you came from a private school?” Melissa prompted. HQ had seen to his education and technically, he had graduated at fifteen. He wasn’t a genius or anything, but HQ handled education like they handled everything else - there were no frivolities, no niceties, you showed up, did your work, got help when you needed it, finished, went on to the next task.  

“Yes.” Stiles said and tried to straighten up. “My mom knew the headmaster and he thought that I wasn’t being challenged enough and opened up a spot in his school.”

“Why did you leave?” Melissa asked.

Stiles sighed and looked away. “My parents lived there their entire marriage.” He paused. “My dad said stuff about the crime rate, about retiring after I am off to college, slowing down a bit-” He cleared his throat. “But it was the house. It was where we lived. Mom was still there in a way, you know?”

Melissa nodded.

“So here we are.” Stiles said.

“Leaving didn’t bother you?” Melissa asked.

“Mom.” Scott muttered.

“It’s ok.” Stiles said. “No, it didn’t bother me. Dad needed it. I’d do anything for my dad.”

“Well, like I said, you are welcome here anytime.” Melissa said. She stood. “You two got the dishes?”

“Yes, mom.” Scott said. He was already eyeing an empanada. Stiles would never not be grossed out by werewolves appetite.

They stood and cleaned the kitchen and did their homework. Melissa left later that night for the overnight shift at the hospital and waved at them.

It was close to nine when they finally called it a night. They had done homework and played some video games before Stiles realized how late it was.

“Hey, I can drop by and pick you up in the morning?” Stiles asked on his way out.

“Oh, don’t you have to pick Allison up?” Scott asked.

Stiles furrowed his brow. He thought back to his day, to how he walked into the school with Allison’s arm through his, how she walked near Stiles and bumped shoulders with him, how she would smile at him brilliantly-

“Dude. Ha.” Stiles scratched his nose and crinkled his brow again. “Not that Allison isn’t beautiful and smart and _so_ nice, but like-” He waved his hand around, hoping to get the point across.

Scott looked like a confused puppy. He even tilted his fucking head.

“Dude, I’m bisexual but totally lean a little, a _lot_ , towards the masculine end of the spectrum.” Stiles said.

“Oh!” Scott said and nodded. Then he brightened. “Wait, so you would be ok with me asking her out?”

“Dude, I will even put in a good word for you.”

Scott’s grin was just as blinding as Allison’s. If they had kids, their smiles would render people utterly useless. “You’re the best.”

Stiles headed home and there it was again, the black Camaro. It sat on the corner and Stiles drove past and sang along badly to Bon Jovi. Stiles watched in his rearview mirror but the Camaro didn’t start up and it didn’t move.

Stiles called his dad.

“How’d it go?” His dad asked.

“Oh, you know. Melissa fed me. So much, dad. You should marry her. I don’t think you understand the depth of her mastery of _food_.” Stiles sighed.

“Yeah? That’s good. I’m glad you got a home cooked meal.” His dad sounded distracted.

“So, hey. I meant to tell you, the clutch is sticking.” Stiles added casually. It was one of their old phrases. The clutch was fine, but there was a tail that was certainly sticking to him.

“That right? I told you to get rid of that old thing.” His dad said.

“Well, see, I tried, but it just keeps sticking.” Stiles added. “I just can’t seem to shake it loose.”

“Yeah. I heard it earlier. Couple times actually.” His father must have seen the same black Camaro out on patrol.  

“Do you have a mechanic?” Stiles asked. Did they have any way of knowing who was behind the wheel? Intel, anything to give Stiles a heads up?

“It’s _still_ sticking?” His dad asked. “Persistent.”

“Yeah well, I’m not sure the garage will keep it.” Stiles said. He was driving down his street. The house was unwarded. He didn’t want to fight off a crazed werewolf without being armed and his tactical gear was still packed up. All he had on him was his switch blade, a few charms, a small bag of wolfsbane, his back up in the glove box, and his sparkling wit.  

“Do what you have to, son. We’ll figure it out later. Probably talk to the mechanic tomorrow.” His dad paused. “Do I need to pick you up?”

Stiles considered it. “No.” He said. “I’ll be out late tonight, dad.”

“You have school in the morning.” His dad said.

Stiles passed by his house without even stopping. “I’ll be there.” He said.

“Call me.”

“Love you, dad.”

“Love you, kid.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Dude. Scott.” 

“Didn’t you just leave?” 

“I’m outside. Come out.” 

“Ok.” Scott said and hung up. 

Stiles looked at the phone and blinked. Scott trusted him that much. “This kid has no preservation skills.” He muttered to himself. “What the fuck.” 

Moments later, Scott climbed into the Jeep and they were off. 

“What do you know about the Hale house?” Stiles asked. 

“That it is the sight of one of the most tragic things that has happened within two hundred miles. It’s still owned by whatever is left of the Hale family. Mom said that there was talk of tearing it down but it never went through. Something about lawyers and the land belonging to the Hales still.” Scott shivered. “And it’s super creepy.” 

“Well. We are going.” Stiles said. 

“What?  _ Why _ ?” Scott asked. 

“Dad got a call.” Stiles tapped the small police scanner that was in the console. “They found a body out that way. Naturally, we are going to go out there and see what’s what.” Stiles said. 

“ _ What? Why?” _ Scott asked. 

Stiles shrugged. “Why not?” 

He didn’t have the words to tell Scott that he was taking him out there as a sort of insurance, that if Scott was there, that there was a chance that Stiles could get out, that he would rather take this to Hale rather than wait for Hale to approach him. Stiles hoped to god that his father kept his phone on and charged. 

Stiles parked a ways out from the Hale house, but he knew that Hale could hear them coming. He hesitated but took a gun out from his glove box. 

Scott didn’t even bother to make words. He squawked. Stiles didn’t even know werewolves could make the sounds that Scott made. 

“Where did you get that?” Scott whispered. 

“My dad is the Sheriff. I’ve grown up around guns.” Stiles checked the magazine and slid it back in, checked the safety and tucked it into his jacket. The bullets had wolfsbane in them. “Hey, give me your phone.” 

Scott handed it over. Stiles saved his father’s number in it and showed Scott. “Just in case.” He said. 

Scott looked from Stiles to the burnt house through the woods and back again. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” 

Stiles grinned. “Great time to use that quote.” 

Scott did the puppy-head-tilt thing. “Is that from a movie?” 

Stiles’ grin faded. “Have you never seen Star Wars?” He whispered. 

“Oh. No.” 

“Jesus.” 

They got out of the car and Stiles had to restrain himself from snapping at Scott to be quiet. Stiles was used to creeping around the woods by himself or with his father who was equally stealthy. 

The house honestly was very creepy. It was burnt and falling to the ground. The trees around them were naked but Stiles imagined that it would have been a nice place to grow up, at one point. 

“What happened?” Stiles whispered. 

“No one knows for sure.” Scott whispered back. “Derek Hale was a few years older than me. Him and his sister skipped town right after the fire. There was talk about them being in on it for the insurance money, which I guess was worth a lot. Talia Hale came from a lot of money and-” Scott shrugged. “But then they learned about this woman, some substitute teacher, who seduced Derek.”

_ Kate Argent _ . 

Allison’s aunt, resident psycho, speciesist, homicidal, child rapist. 

Stiles had opinions about the Argent family, mostly Kate and Gerard, but he didn’t often voice them. When he did, it was only to his dad. Kate Argent held a special place in Stiles’ heart after he had met another werewolf family where she had taken advantage of their young daughter. They were luckier than the Hales; they had an emissary with them the night Kate had tried to torch them and he had been able to break the mountain ash line.

“She disappeared too, so the whole thing went cold.” Scott finished in an eerie whisper. Then he straightened and looked hopeful. “Hey, maybe your dad will get a break in the case and they will finally prove that Derek and Laura didn’t have anything to do with it.” 

“That’d be cool.” Stiles said out loud. “Wait, you don’t think they had anything to do with it?” 

“Nah.” Scott said. “I met them a few times. Ok, this is going to sound weird but like-” Scott paused and looked for the words. “Have you ever seen a kid, like a real little kid, who was just in love with their mom and dad? Like the kid’s parents just lit up their entire world? They were the reason that kid woke up?” 

Stiles tried not to think about his mom and dad dancing in the fading sunlight in a near empty kitchen. He failed. 

“Yeah.” He whispered. 

“That’s how all the Hale kids looked at their parents. All the Hale kids. Laura loved her mom so much, dude. I wish you could have seen it and you would agree with me. They loved their parents so much it was un-fucking-real, bro. No way did Laura and Derek have anything to do with them dying.” Scott said. 

They crept around the side of the house and then stopped. 

A man was digging a hole and there was something wrapped up in a sheet beside him. 

“Stiles?” Scott whispered. His voice shook.  

“Run.” Stiles whispered and backed away. “Run, Scott.” 

“I can’t leave you here-” Scott whispered even as he began to back up too. The man was straightening up. 

“You aren’t. I’m running too.” Stiles whispered. “Split up. Go.” He met Scott’s eyes. “ _ Run _ .” 

Scott ran. 

When Stiles turned back, Derek Hale was looking at him. His eyes were glowing blue and Stiles took a deep breath. 

“Your friend left.” Derek said. “And you shouldn’t be here. This is private property.” 

“Derek Hale, I am Agent Stiles Stilinski. The Old Houses sent me and my partner in when we learned of your sister’s death.” Stiles said. Derek’s eyes flamed even brighter. Stiles kept his breathing steady even if he did feel his heartbeat ratchet up. He kept his eyes glued to Derek’s shoulder.  

“Am I your mission? You here to bring me in?” Derek asked in a low voice. “I remember the Old Houses. They visited my mom a couple of times when packs were fighting. Asked for her help. Sometimes she could help, sometimes she couldn’t.” 

“Your mother was a goddamn gift to the Old Houses.” Stiles muttered before he could stop himself. “And I mean that, sincerely. She knew better than our agents in field most of the time.” 

“Why didn’t you come after my family was killed?” Derek asked. 

“Well, at the time, I wasn’t in field yet.” Stiles said. “As for why no one else came-” Stiles sighed. “I would have to get back to you.” 

Derek opened his mouth and then shut it. He cocked his head. “Sirens. Your friend called the cops.” 

Stiles reached for his phone but realized it wouldn’t matter. “Shit. OK.” He looked towards what was obviously a body wrapped in a sheet. “Fuck.” He added. 

“It’s ok.” Derek said. He glanced towards the body and back at Stiles. His eyes were no longer glowing and he looked… blank. He looked completely and totally shut down. Stiles had seen it before, when agents had seen something happen to their partner. He had seen that look in his father’s eyes when they were forced to listen to his mom die. When they had been helpless against whatever it was that happened to them. Derek was closing himself off from everything to make it ok.  

“It’s not fucking ok, Derek.” Stiles hissed and threw himself into action. “They are going to see this and they are going to think you killed her- ok. Here’s what we are going to do. Can you- Can you go kill something? A deer, a raccoon or  _ something _ ?” 

Derek nodded slowly. 

“Go!” Stiles all but shouted. 

Derek gave him one last assessing look and left. Stiles approached the body and wondered how far Derek could hear. He was back a moment later, the body of a deer in his arms, freshly killed and bleeding all over Derek. 

“Ok, we have to-” Stiles’ voice cracked and he was very much not thinking of his own mother and how she had died. “We have to put Laura somewhere until we can get you sorted out, ok? Are there- are there caves or something nearby? Somewhere you can put her, just for the night?” 

“Why are you doing this?” Derek asked. He was dirty, covered in blood, and that blank look was still all over him. But he was steady. Stiles would bet that if he felt for his pulse, it would have been even.  

“It’s what I do.” Stiles said. He frowned. “Take her and this. Leave it with her.” Stiles took off his watch, with its GPS tracking and pressed it into Derek’s hand. “Quickly.” 

Derek leaned over and Stiles had to look away at the way he took his dead sister’s body very gently into his arms and then he gone again. The blue and red lights were shining through the trees when Derek showed up again. 

“Are they going to arrest me?” Derek asked. His voice was still so flat. He didn’t even sound like he was resigned. He sounded like he was barely there. 

“Yes.” Stiles replied and put his hands up. Derek did the same. 

“Awesome.” Derek said with a sigh. “Haven’t been arrested. This week.” 

“Well, the blood and the hole back there along with the leather jacket and the partially burnt house-” Stiles shrugged. “You, my friend, are working a serial killer image to a T.” 

“Shut up, I’m not your friend, and how many serial killers have you met?” 

“This week?” Stiles asked. 

“ _ Get down on your knees _ -” A voice started but then Stiles noticed a familiar stride back lit and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Dad.” He muttered. 

“Your dad is a  _ cop _ ?” 

“No, he’s an agent, just like me. He’s also the Sheriff around these parts.” Stiles said. “Just- trust me, ok?” 

Derek gave him a look that said he would rather cut out his own liver with a spoon and eat it with a side of mistletoe.

“Whatever.” Stiles muttered. “I’m helping you whether you like it or not, buddy.” 

“ _ Stiles _ ?” His dad called out. A deputy beat him to where Stiles and Derek were kneeling and pushed him into the ground. He turned his head at the last second so he didn’t get a mouthful of dirt and leaves. The deputy put his knee in the middle of Stiles’ back and he heard the cuffs being pulled out. 

“Get off of him, Williams, what the hell are you doing?” John snapped and the weight was removed. “Son, what in the hell are you doing out here?” 

“I got lost. Scott and I were going to the school field so he could show me some stuff-” 

“At nine PM?” Williams asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he turned to Derek who was actually handcuffed and being hauled to his feet. “Who’s your friend? And why does he have blood all over him?” 

Stiles sighed and looked skyward. “Scott was saying that the field was built over a Native American burial ground and we were going to go see if spooky shit happens. Ok?” He looked his dad in the eye and John sighed and closed his eyes. “Scott said there was a back way, we got lost, we thought we saw something and we found this dude.” 

“Who is covered in blood.” Williams said. 

“Williams.” The Sheriff snapped. 

“Yes, sir?” He said. 

“Go. Away.” John said and there was a note of impatience that said that this was not the first time he’s had to talk to Williams today.

Williams opened his mouth as his dad began to undo the handcuffs on Stiles’ wrists but the Sheriff cut him off. “Now.” There was another deputy behind Derek. He was thin and blonde and looked five minutes older than some of Stiles’ classmates. “Parrish, put- sorry, your name?” 

“Derek Hale.” Derek said softly. 

John had known that. They had his picture pinned to a board in their house. 

“Take Mr. Hale here and put him in my car. I’ll be with him in a minute.” Parrish nodded and directed Derek down the hill and towards the Sheriff’s car as John turned on him and started in on him. “We haven’t even been in town a  _ week _ , Stiles! A week!”

Stiles rubbed his wrists and nodded. “I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. 

John went on another minute until the deputies were out of earshot. “You ok?” John asked in a low voice. 

Stiles nodded. “Good. Fine.” He said. “I didn’t mean for Scott to call you. Believe it or not, I had it under control.” 

“Still.” John said and then stepped to the side and pointed up at the house like he was still scolding Stiles and then back at the Jeep. Derek had a clear view of them and could undoubtedly hear them. “Whose blood is that?” 

“A deer. That’s what you are going to find in the sheet over there.” Stiles said and looked down and kicked at the ground at his feet, like he was genuinely contrite. 

“Was he burying Laura?” The Sheriff asked. He crossed his arms and glared at Stiles. 

“Yeah.” Stiles said and nodded. “He took her somewhere else though. He left my watch with her body. I said that after we get everything sorted with him, he can give her a proper burial.” 

John nodded and looked to the back of his cruiser. “Can you hear us, son?” 

Derek was watching the both of them with narrowed eyes. He inclined his head once.

“Stiles is going to go find your sister’s body and he will stay with her until you get released. Parrish will question you. Is that deer going to look like a car crash could have killed it?” John asked. 

Derek shook his head no. 

“Tell Parrish you came on it when you came up to your old house. A wolf got to it. It died. You lost control of your emotions and you were burying the deer. You are confused, got it? You came here looking for your sister and she isn’t anywhere to be found.” John rubbed his face. “You’ll be out by morning.”

Derek nodded once more. 

“Are we going to find any human blood on you? Your clothes?” Stiles asked. 

Derek shook his head. 

“Laura was shifted when you found her?” John asked. 

Derek looked away and nodded. 

“That makes the story more plausible.” Stiles murmured and sighed. 

“Alright.” John whispered and fixed Stiles with an angry glare. “Now go home! And stay there!”

Stiles shuffled off and got in his Jeep. When he checked his phone there were twelve messages from Scott. Stiles sent him a message back saying he was probably grounded until his kids were in a retirement home but yeah, he was ok. He went home and showered and got into a clean pair of jeans and laid down on his bed. It was going to be a few hours yet before the cops were done with the crime scene and he could get some sleep before he ventured back out.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles put some food and a few other things into a bag and he headed back out to the woods. He didn’t go out unarmed and he tracked the GPS for his own watch deep into the woods and against a sheer cliff. There were caves there, partially hidden by overgrowth. His phone beeped when he was within three feet of the correct cave. Stiles found a place to lean against and sat down. He pulled out his laptop and continued to work on an essay for history. When he was done with that, he used a small light attached to his backpack to work on some math. 

Derek still wasn’t back after that was finished and there was only so much homework that Stiles could do before he lost his damn mind. So he formed the backpack into a kind of pillow and laid down. He looked at the stars overhead and found Andromeda. 

It was another hour before he spoke. 

“Andromeda has such a shitty story, you know? I want to rewrite it.” Stiles paused. “Do you know it?” 

There was no answer. 

“Andromeda’s mom said that she was more beautiful that the sea nymphs, Poseidon sends his monster to destroy the town they live in, the townspeople strip Andromeda, and chain her to a rock so that the monster can come eat her and they can all be saved. Perseus comes and saves her and they live happily ever after. That story supposedly gave rise to the whole princess and the dragon trope.” 

“Why are you doing this?” Derek asked. 

“It’s what I do.” Stiles said and sat up. He dug through his bag and pulled out his laptop and the homework he finished. He left the bag. “There’s some jerky and water and protein bars.” He hesitated. “My mom-” He started. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “We’ve lost our fair share of people in the field. We went to as many funerals as we could and my mom always brought something with her for them to be buried with. Sometimes, it was something personal if she knew the agent that died in field.”

Derek didn’t say anything and he didn’t come out of the shadows either, even though Stiles could see his eyes glowing. It felt stupid, talking to a bush, basically. But grief did weird things to people and Stiles couldn’t judge Derek during a time like this. 

“Mom would pick up small things on the road, pretty things, and hold on to them just in case, you know? There’s a- there’s a necklace in the bag that she bought when we were in Mexico once. It’s gold. The pendant looks like a leaf. It was one of my favorites that my mom picked out.” It was also one of the last of the small trinkets that Stiles still had in his possession from his mom. He didn’t want to think too much on why he had chosen something like that to give to Derek for Laura.

Derek did finally step out of the shadows then. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“No.” Stiles took a step back. “I didn’t. But I think it would be nice for both of them, ya know?” He turned and left Derek in front of the cave, the body of his sister nearby. 

***

It was pointless to try to sleep. He would be up again in three hours anyway. So Stiles set about to unpacking his things. He threw his clothes into drawers and his closet and then lugged up two large black containers. 

Stiles had to take a minute to breathe after getting them upstairs. 

Then he  _ really _ began to unpack. 

He opened the lid of his ACR assault rifle and smiled down at it. He stroked the barrel and said, “Hey baby.” He slid it under his bed. 

Stiles’ trusty AK 47 was next. He placed that underneath his desk, strapping it to the underside of the top of the desk. The AK 74 was hidden away in his closet. The BMCR went into a hidden compartment in the headboard of his bed. The Mossberg shotgun was stored under his mattress. He scattered twelve pistols throughout the room. Eighteen more knives were secreted away. His tactical armor was zipped up into black garment bags and placed in the far corner of his closet. His holsters went into a box at the top of his closet. Satisfied, he looked around, nodded and high fived himself. 

Once done, he warded the windows of his and his father’s room and spread mountain ash over his father’s window sill. He decided against lining his own and against the front door. By the time he finished with the guest room, kitchen, and living room, it was time to get ready to go to school.

“Fuck my life.” He muttered as he pulled a shirt on. “I did not take this job so I could be switching high schools for the rest of my life.” He went downstairs and grabbed some butter and threw it in a pan and listened for the sizzle as he looked for eggs and cheese. 

“Well-” A voice started and Stiles jerked a Glock (he was a brand loyalist) from the bottom drawer where the cheese should have been. He swung it around and trained it on the blood stained, dirty, exhausted werewolf seated at the table. Derek examined the gun with a measure of disinterest. “High school will be over before you know it.” 

“Does  _ no one _ in this town have any self preservation skills? Like, whatsoever?” Stiles asked. “Or is it just the werewolves?” 

Derek didn’t reply and Stiles put the gun back and found the cheese. 

“Wash your hands. Like, up to the elbow, dude.” Stiles said. Derek did as he was asked and sat back down. He stared down at the smooth finish of the table, at his hands, but remained silent. Stiles finished breakfast and put a plate in front of Derek and they ate in silence. 

“Coffee?” Stiles asked. 

“Yes, please.” Derek said softly. He looked to the front door and the Sheriff opened it and came in. He didn’t seem concerned that Derek was at their table. John took off his utility belt and put it on the table next to the front door and squeezed Derek’s shoulder as he passed by. Stiles gave John an omelette and brought the carafe over to the table. Derek took his coffee black and John ate and Stiles watched the two of them.

“She’s gone.” Derek said and there was finally a crack in his veneer. His voice shook and he looked pale.  

Stiles rubbed his back but didn’t try to offer any words. They always sounded hollow to him.  

“Yeah, son.” John said gently. “I’m sorry.” 

Derek’s eyes were wide as he looked at his coffee cup. He looked up at John and Stiles would bet his entire mission salary that he didn’t even know he was crying. “That’s it, huh? Last of the Hales right here.” 

Stiles took the cup from him when he heard it crack. 

“I’m an orphan.” Derek said and it was the saddest declaration in all the world. 

***

The rest of the day passed in a weird haze. When Stiles’ mom had passed, he thought it was the worst thing that could happen to someone. He knew, vaguely, that others had it worse but that didn’t help him deal with his pain. It didn’t lessen the loss of his mother. 

But he had his dad. He always had his dad. 

Stiles couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be the only one left. The Old Houses, they provided a kind of network, but it wouldn’t be the place for Stiles to find comfort or any kind of home. If he lost his dad, he wouldn’t know what to do. 

Derek’s face and his despair haunted Stiles through lacrosse and all the way through Coach announcing he had made the team. The most he and Scott could dredge up was a vague smile.

After practice, he was called into Coach’s office. 

“You wanted to see me?” Stiles asked and poked his head in. 

“Yeah, come on in. I need to get you to sign some of the paperwork here-” Coach said. “Close the door.” 

Stiles raised his eyebrow but did as he was asked.  

Once seated, Coach looked him in the eye. “Hope is the foundation-” 

“That our Houses are built on.” Stiles finished. “You’re our liaison?”

Coach nodded. “Anything for me?” 

“We’ve got Hale, found Laura’s body, and met the Argent girl.”

“Any word on the rogue?” Coach asked. 

“No.” Stiles said.

“How was Laura killed?” 

Stiles blinked and looked away. “She was bisected.” 

Coach frowned. “Hunters. Fucking savages.” 

Stiles didn’t reply. 

“What about McCall? Has he put two and two together?” 

“No.” Stiles said. “I’ll get Hale to explain it to him.” 

“Nice kid, but doesn’t seem all that bright.” Coach remarked. 

“He’s smart. He just got bit by a werewolf and now doesn’t know what is going on.” Stiles said, defending his new friend with a vehemence he didn’t understand. 

“I’ve read your file.” Coach said and tapped his computer. “You’re father goes by the Sheriff, is that right? And he’s the actual Sheriff here.” 

Stiles nodded. 

“But it looks like you’ve got two code names here. Why’s that?” 

“Part of a pilot program. That’s all I can say, though.” Stiles said. “We done here?” 

Coach eyed the computer and nodded. “We’re done.”      

Later, Stiles sat on the bleachers, smoking a joint. The sun was setting. 

Scott sat down with him. “Are you thinking about Derek?” 

Stiles offered Scott the joint and he took it, swallowed the sweet smoke down gratefully. There was the smallest hint of nightshade in it and Stiles knew Scott would be able to feel it. Stiles had told Scott that Derek had been burying a deer, that he was so messed up from not being able to find his sister that he just didn’t realize what he was doing.  _ Grief does weird shit to people, _ Scott said. Stiles agreed.  

“Could you imagine being that alone?” Stiles asked. “I mean-” Scott handed the joint back and Stiles took a hit. 

“Shit.” Scott said. “I know what you mean. The world just took a dump all over that poor guy’s life and we got him arrested on top of it. For burying a  _ deer _ . Because he was so emotionally distraught about his sister being  _ missing _ .” 

“Shit.” Stiles agreed. 

They watched the sunset and didn’t speak.

***

When Stiles got home, there was a note on the fridge with his dad’s schedule. He was at some kind of town council meeting and then would be heading out to the station right after. Stiles frowned and shrugged. He opened the fridge and sighed at the sad contents of their shelves. 

He went through the contents of their pantry and found them just as empty. His stomach grumbled and Stiles grabbed a packet of ramen and opened it up. He ate it dry, his eyes on the blank TV set. He could hear his mother groaning about what he was eating and that finally spurred him into action. He got his keys, grabbed his wallet, and headed out to the store. 

Stiles realized he might have still been a little bit high when he threw in his fourth box of cereal but went with it anyway. He stopped by the produce section and made sure to grab all the other necessities. He finally had to stop himself and go to the front just as they were announcing fifteen minutes to closing. The guy at the front blinked at the sheer amount of food teetering in the basket. 

“Sorry.” Stiles said as he started to put all the food on the conveyor belt. “We just moved here and there is nothing at our house.” 

“Ah. Sheriff’s kid?” The guy said. 

Stiles nodded. “Word gets around, huh?” 

The guy shrugged. “Small town.” 

He worked quickly, probably to get home at a decent hour and Stiles was on his way. When he stepped out of the store, it was locked behind him and the lights above him were flipped off. His Jeep was the only one in the lot and Stiles couldn’t help a nervous glance around. 

“That’s totally not creepy.” He muttered. 

Stiles began to unload the cart into the Jeep and a red SUV pulled into the lot and parked right next to him. He looked around at the dark store, clearly closed, and how he was the only one in the lot. 

A man got out, salt and pepper hair, lean build, and blue eyes. He was a little taller than Stiles and walked like he was a police officer or maybe in the military for a long time. Another man got out of the passenger side and stood by the headlights. 

“Hey, son, wondering if you could help me out.” The guy started. He was looking at Stiles in a way that he didn’t entirely trust. 

“I could try, but I have to warn you, I’m new to town. So I hope you and your boyfriend aren’t looking for the best seedy motel or anything.” Stiles smiled brightly, like the Boy Scout he never was. 

The man chuckled. “Good one. No, this is my associate-” Stiles looked over to the other guy and nodded, mouthed  _ Sure _ to him and the other guy rolled his eyes, “And we were just wondering if you’ve seen this man.” 

  He held out a picture of Derek in a suit, looking to the side of him at a beautiful young woman, both of them laughing at the other. Stiles memorized the details of it, flipped the photograph over to see it dated the year previous, March 12th, but shook his head. “No, but I wish I had. If you do see him, give him my number, would ya?” 

Stiles closed the back of the Jeep and turned to the man who was looking at him thoughtfully. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” He said. 

Stiles gave him that same crooked grin. “I didn’t catch yours either.” 

“You go to school here?” 

“Well, no. This is a parking lot.” 

“What’s your name, son?” 

“It certainly  _ isn’t _ son. Especially not yours.” 

The man was silent for a moment and Stiles moved his cart away from his Jeep to put it in corral. But he didn’t want to turn his back on either one of these guys. He was goading them, sure, but he wasn’t stupid. 

“Is there a reason you don’t want to tell me your name?” The man asked. 

“Because coming up to some kid in a dark parking lot when he’s alone is totally on the up and up, right?” Stiles countered. 

Next to the store, in the dark, a pair of blue eyes flashed. 

“ _ No _ ,” Stiles said to the eyes and to the guy in front of him, “It’s really not. That’s the correct answer, in case you were wondering. I’m pretty sure they have a whole Dateline series about guys trying to talk to teenagers.” 

Stiles heard another car approach and his hand itched to go for the gun tucked under his hoodie. If there were more than three of them, Stiles might have to ask Derek for help. 

Might. 

But then red and blue lights switched on and Stiles felt a little bit of tension bleed out of his shoulders. 

“Son.” His dad said and walked up. He nodded to the man across from Stiles. “Sorry I was late. Drunk and disorderly downtown.” 

“It’s ok, dad. I got it.” Stiles said. He kept his eyes glued on the two men in front of him.

“Who are your friends?” John asked. 

“Don’t know.” Stiles said shortly. 

The man’s eyes were bouncing between them and Stiles could tell that he was smart. That he knew there was something he wasn’t catching here. 

John was watching him, waiting for a name. 

“Chris Argent.” The man finally said and extended his hand. 

“Sheriff Stilinski.” John said and shook Chris’ hand. “My son, Stiles.” 

Stiles gave him a sarcastic smile. He moved to put the cart away. 

“Is there something that I could help you with?” John prompted. 

“We were looking for a relative of mine.” Chris handed over the same photo he had given Stiles. “He went missing a while ago, wanted to know if your son had seen him.” 

John studied the picture and looked up at the man. “Relative of yours, you said?” 

“Yeah. Distant cousin.” Chris said. 

“Really.” John said. “Because if I’m not mistaken, that’s Derek Hale. And as far as he knows, he’s the last of his family. No aunts, uncles, cousins. They all died in the fire some time ago.”

“So you’ve seen him?” Chris prompted. 

“Not in a couple weeks.” John lied smoothly. “But last I saw of him, when he filed the report for his sister, your other cousin that you failed to mention,” John raised an eyebrow, “He told me that it was just him.” 

Chris gave him a tight smile. “That’s why I’m looking for him.” 

“You are welcome to come down to the station and file a report. I could get my deputies looking.” John offered. 

“Another time.” Chris said and turned. “Thank you, Sheriff, for your help. And you too, Stiles.” 

Stiles waved as they got in their SUV and left. 

“What the fuck.” Stiles said. 

John cuffed him over the head. 

“You know, I had that handled.” Stiles said to the side of the grocery store. 

“Derek was concerned.” John said. 

“You didn’t need to be concerned, Derek.” Stiles said to the dark alley next to the grocery store. “I had that handled.” 

Stiles phone lit up. It was a text from Derek. “Shut up, stupid, they are idling at the road.” He read out loud. “Huh. It’s useful having super-hearing.”

“Get home. Eat something. Talk to Scott.” John ordered. 

“I don’t think he’s ready.” Stiles said. 

“Five days to the full moon, son.” John reminded him. He tapped his watch and got into his car. 

Stiles waved him off. 

In the empty parking lot, Stiles said, “I’m going to make spaghetti and meatballs. You are welcome to come by.” 

His phone lit up again. 

_ I’ll see you there _ . 

***

“Are you going to tell him?” Stiles asked. He was staring at Derek over a truly terrifying amount of meatballs.

“He is probably scared to death of me.” Derek said and neatly cut one meatball in half before shoving it in his mouth. 

“I think you are terrified of telling him.” Stiles accused. 

Derek shrugged. 

“It wasn’t you, was it? That bit him?” Stiles asked. 

Derek looked at him, cocked an eyebrow and continued chewing. He flashed his blue eyes at Stiles. 

“Hey, I’ve seen some alphas that can change eye color. I was just making sure. Our partnership is based on one of mutual trust.” Stiles said. 

“I work alone.” Derek muttered. 

“Ok, Batman. No, wait. Wolverine.  _ Yes _ .” Stiles said. He nodded and continued eating. There was a binder at his elbow and he was flipping through it, scanning the words. 

“What’s that?” Derek asked. 

“History of the Hills.” Stiles said. “Goes back to when your family came here and- hey you want to look, go right ahead.” He watched as Derek took the binder and flipped to the beginning. 

“Most of this burned up in the fire. What we knew, Laura knew. She wanted to write it all down but we never got the chance.” Derek said. 

“Oh.” Stiles said. 

He went back to eating and Derek read. 

When they were done, Derek did the dishes and Stiles looked through the collection of movies that came with the house. Dark Knight Rises was five minutes in when Derek flopped down on the couch next to him, the binder in his hands. Stiles studied his hands for a moment and then his profile, wondered how this guy was only a couple years older than him. 

They didn’t talk and Stiles was nodding off when Derek asked suddenly, “What you told Scott, was that true?” 

Stiles blinked owlishly at the TV and then at Derek. “Maybe.” He said. “What are you referring to?”

“When he asked about Allison and you said-” Derek stopped. He hadn’t looked up from the binder in his hands but Stiles could tell he wasn’t reading anymore. 

“And I said I was into guys and girls but mostly guys?” Stiles prompted. 

Derek nodded. 

“Does that weird you out?” Stiles asked.

Derek shook his head. 

“Is there a reason you won’t look at me? Or talk? I mean, I don’t expect speeches, but you are being more reticent than usual.” Stiles was watching Derek. His shoulders were hunched and Stiles worried for the wellbeing of the binder in his hands. 

Derek shrugged. 

“Well, the answer to your question is, that was the truth. And if that worries you or makes you think that I can’t do my job as well as a straight person-” 

“Werewolves have a more fluid sexual identity than most other beings.” Derek said. 

“I know.” Stiles said. 

He turned back to the TV. Derek went back to the binder. 

The tension in the room fled. 

When Stiles opened his eyes, the TV was off, the blanket from his bed was draped over him and the binder was on the coffee table. 

Derek was gone but Stiles heard his father in the kitchen. He dragged himself from the couch and passed his father in the kitchen. 

“Derek said bye.” John said. 

There was a look in his eyes, a look he had seen far too often in Florida, that Stiles didn’t comment on. Instead, he just nodded and went upstairs. 

He slept. 

***    

“So.” Scott said and leaned against Stiles’ locker.

“I’m free this Saturday at eight. I’ll drive. You bring flowers. I’m thinking… Italian?” Stiles suggested. 

“Yeah, ok.” Scott nodded. 

Stiles stared at him and shook his head. He could not figure this kid out at all.  

“But that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.” Scott said. “What are you doing after school?” 

“Lacrosse practice with you and then homework. Again, with you.” Stiles said.  

Scott chewed on his lower lip and nodded. “Can we talk?” He finally asked. 

“Sure. Of course.” Stiles said, dropping the joking tone. “Right now?” 

“Uh, no. after practice.” 

Stiles nodded. 

The day passed slower than he thought possible and by the time practice was over, Stiles’ jaw was sore from grinding his teeth. By the time Scott and Stiles made it to Scott’s house, Stiles was on edge. 

“So what’s up?” Stiles asked and looked around. “Need ideas for a date night with Allison? Please don’t use any of our special places.” 

Scott couldn’t even dredge up a smile. 

Stiles felt his own drain away. “What’s up, man?” 

“There’s something wrong with me.” Scott whispered. “I think I’m going crazy.” 

Stiles blinked. “Buddy. It’s close to finals. Everyone feels that way.” 

“No, I mean-” Scott sighed. “Promise me you won’t scream.” 

“Well, Scotty, it’s a known fact that Stiles Stilinski is a bit of a screamer-” Stiles shut his mouth when Scott flashed his eyes at him. “Well.” Stiles said. 

“You saw it?” Scott asked. 

“I did.” Stiles said. 

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” Scott demanded.

Stiles hesitated. 

“Did you know?” Scott asked. 

“I-” Stiles stopped and looked down. “I think we should go to my house for dinner.” He finally managed. 

“Why?” Scott asked. 

“Because, we need to talk. And I need help explaining things.” Stiles said. He rubbed his face. “I promise, I can explain everything.” 


	4. Chapter 4

John was home and grilling steaks in the backyard. Stiles texted him the situation and Derek was there as well, sitting on the steps of the deck, watching the sky and John, in turn. 

“Whoa.” Scott said when he saw Derek sitting there. “What’s- what’s he doing here?” He whispered to Stiles. 

“I can hear you.” Derek said. “Just like you can hear the lady across the street singing while she is in the shower.” 

Scott paled considerably. 

Derek didn’t turn around to look at Scott or Stiles. Stiles could feel the tension rolling off his shoulders. 

“Alright boys.” John said and plated the steaks. He gestured to the house. “Let’s eat inside.” 

Stiles went first, followed by Scott, then Derek, and finally John. 

“Son, can you get the door?” John asked. 

Scott, since he was the closest, went to go close the door, but Derek stopped him with a hand on his forearm. “Stiles has to do it.” 

“Why?” Scott asked. 

Stiles slit his thumb open and pressed it to a rune and it lit up silver white before settling down and fading. 

“Because he has enough magic in him to protect us all. He protects this house with it.” Derek said. “People like him are called sparks.” 

“I’m available for birthday parties and weddings too.” Stiles said. 

Scott stared at him. Then he turned to Derek. “And people like us? What do they call people like us?” 

“Werewolves.” Derek said easily and moved away, like it was a casual conversation they were having.  

Scott laughed.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” John asked, from where he was spooning mashed potatoes onto his plate. 

“You are stronger than you ought to be, you can see, hear, and smell things you shouldn’t be able to see, hear, or smell. Right?” Stiles prompted. 

Scott didn’t reply but he did get in line after John and began to pile his plate full. 

“How did this happen?” Scott finally asked. 

“Were you attacked?” John asked. 

Scott nodded. “Who are you?” He asked John. Stiles felt a little stung when he didn’t turn to him for answers. Derek squeezed his shoulder and urged him into the line for food. 

“Let’s all sit before we start that conversation.” John said. 

Scott and John sat on one side of the table and Derek and Stiles sat on the other side. 

“Stiles and I-” 

“Are you really his dad?” Scott interrupted. 

Derek raised his eyebrows and looked between the two of them, like he was just now considering that thought. 

“Yes.” John said. 

“Did your mom really die from cancer?” Scott asked Stiles. 

“No.” Stiles said. “An alpha took her hostage and she sacrificed herself to kill as many of them as she could.” 

“Them? Werewolves?” Scott looked confused. “What’s an alpha?” 

John put his hand on Scott’s arm. “It’s a lot, we know. So let’s just start with your first question. Ok?” 

Scott nodded. 

“Stiles and I belong to an organization of the government. It’s a shadow of a shadow, you could say. Our names, our payroll, will never show up where we could be found.” John said. 

“What is- do you have a name?” Scott asked. 

“The Old Houses.” Stiles said. “Way back in the day, in Europe, the hunters belonged to certain houses, all along the continent. They were-” Stiles sighed. “Hunters were barbaric. Racist. Hated all the supernatural creatures out there. Salem was their pinnacle.” 

“Salem was the reason that the Old Houses was created. Agents of the Old Houses police the hunters, make sure they aren’t getting out of hand.” John said. “Hunters can become-” He sighed. “Violent. Deranged. Most supernatural entities-” 

“SEs, is what we call them.” Stiles said. 

“Aren’t monsters. In fact, they have helped humanity in a number of ways.” John said. 

“So when hunters go off the rails, when their lifestyles becomes too much for them to mentally process, agents like Stiles and I are called in.” John said. 

“Did you come here for me?” Scott asked. 

“Not to bring you in, no.” Stiles said. “We just want to make sure that you are ok. Before we have to leave, we want to make sure that you have all the answers you need.” 

“How did you get a job like that?” Scott asked. He looked first to John and then Stiles. 

“I was in the military. Special operations. I met a certain kind of criteria and was recruited when I was twenty two. I met Stiles’ mom on a mission.” John said. 

“I was born into it.” Stiles said. He shrugged when Derek and Scott turned to look at him. “It happens sometimes. Two agents meet, they get married, have a kid or two, and that kid is raised in the Old Houses. We are trained from the time we are able to hold a weapon. I mean, I got regular school and stuff but this has been my life ever since I can remember.” 

Derek and Scott stared at him a minute longer until John spoke, “Stiles has been an agent since he was nine. He’s deadly, just as deadly as any other agent that’s been trained by our organization. And he’s also got magic on his side, so-” John shrugged. “I trust him. He’s good at his job, one of the best agents I’ve seen in the field.” 

Derek gaped at Stiles a moment longer until Stiles shifted and looked down. 

“Our first priority was to find Derek.” John said. “To make sure that he was still alive.” 

Derek looked a little surprised at that admission. 

“Why Derek?” Scott said. 

“To see what he knew about Laura’s murder.” Stiles said. John gave him a look and Stiles looked down at his hands. “To question Derek about Laura’s murder.” He added softly.  

“Neither one of us thought it was Derek.” John added and sat back. He regarded the table thoughtfully. “A beta could no more raise a hand to his alpha than you could to your mother. It goes against every instinct in them.” 

“Derek and Laura were raised together too. By all accounts, they were best friends.” Stiles said. 

“She gave me a wedgie so hard once that she tore my underwear.” Derek said, looking horrified at the admission. “I put her head in the toilet and flushed two or three times before my mom pulled me off.”

“But they were still siblings.” John added.

“And we had to find him because Derek’s line is  _ old _ .” Stiles said, redirecting the conversation. “One of the oldest in North America, if not the oldest. They are powerful and that power can be transferred. If the Hale line is still alive, still intact, then Beacon Hills has a fighting chance.” 

Derek opened his mouth and then surprised look was quickly slipping into being stunned.

Scott looked confused. “You’re talking about him like he’s- like he’s royalty or something.” 

Stiles shrugged. 

“The Hales have their power wrapped up in this land. This land survives only because of the Hales. If there is still even one member alive then there is a chance.” John said. 

“What’s so important about Beacon Hills?” Derek asked. 

“That’s a whole other question for another night.” Stiles said. 

“Laura was- she was a werewolf too?” Scott said, but directed the question to Derek. 

“Yeah.” Derek cleared his throat. “After my family was killed-” Derek looked away. “We left. She was my alpha. I was her beta. It worked.” 

“What’s an alpha?” Scott asked. 

“An alpha is the leader of a pack. A pack can be anywhere from two to a hundred wolves. The bigger the pack, the stronger the alpha.” John said. 

“They are the only ones who can bite a human and turn them.” Stiles added. 

“Who bit you?” Scott asked. 

“There are two ways to be a werewolf. Born and bitten. I was born.” Derek explained dully. 

“So you’ve always been this way?” Scott asked. 

Derek nodded.

“Laura was trained from birth, a lot like Stiles was. Being an alpha isn't the fun time it sounds like. There is a lot of education that goes along with it. She had to memorize the entirety of her family's history because this wasn't the first time that a shifter's family was decimated. Talia Hale trained her to be fair, so that when it came to leading the Hale pack, she wouldn't be swayed one way or the other. She was smart, she was resourceful, and she was caring.” John said.

“When the fire happened, she did exactly as she was taught. She went deep underground, took her brother with her and left. It must have been hard because the Hills belong to the Hales. Always have, always will.” Stiles said. “Laura was only eighteen, Derek fifteen, but she got them out, kept them alive, put herself through college, got Derek to graduate, put him through college and began looking for other pack mates.”

“She was called back here ten days ago.” John said.

“And she was murdered.” Scott finished. He looked ill at the stark tragedy that was the Hale legacy and put his fork down. “Was it-”

“What?” Stiles asked.

“Could Laura have bit me? Before she died?” Scott asked.

John and Stiles looked to Derek.

“No.” Derek said gently.

“Are you sure?” Scott asked. He was holding his head in his hands.

“Pack can identify pack. It's like blood calling blood. If I were part of your pack, you would have come to me. You would have been able to seek me out without even trying.” Derek said. “There is a connection there and it’s faint, but-” Derek shook his head. “No. Not to mention that Laura would never have left you alone.”

“So there's an alpha loose biting people?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.” Stiles said.

“And the alpha was the one that killed Laura.” Scott concluded.

“Maybe.” John hedged.

Scott sighed and picked up his own knife and fork and began to eat. “I don't even want to ask any more questions.” He said. “The more I know, the worse it gets.”

“There are hunters in town.” Derek said.

Scott nodded as though Derek confirmed it.

“And we are here to find Laura's killer and the hunters who are possibly responsible for it or the alpha who did it and bit you.” Stiles added.

Scott nodded again and continued eating.

“Scott.” John said.

“I don't even know what to say.” Scott said and chewed thoughtfully. “There's this weird humming in my ears and I'm hungry and my whole life is pretty much over, so I don't know what to do. I can eat, though. I can do that.”

Stiles looked confused. “Why is your whole life over?”

“Because I'm a monster.” Scott said flatly.

“Can this rank as the worst possible conversation we have ever had?” Stiles asked and turned to his dad. “I mean, it’s way worse than that time in New Mexico.”

“That was a culture clash. We can't even count that one.” John said and it was his turn to put his head in his hands. “It's worse than Florida.”

“Which one?”

“2014.”

Stiles winced at the memory and picked up the plate of steaks before Derek finally lost his temper and flipped the table. The vegetables were a lost cause but John managed to grab the potatoes.

“People like you cling to their beliefs like they are facts.” Derek said and picked Scott up and  _ threw _ him into the living room. “Because a shitty black and white movie said that we are  _ monsters _ ? What about the humans that burned my family down? What about the fact that we have to hide who we are otherwise scientists will cut us open, kill us, imprison us,  _ because of how we were born _ ?” Derek demanded and stormed after Scott.

“I didn't ask for this!” Scott yelled back. “I didn't want this!” He stood up and John sighed at the state of their coffee table. Scott stalked towards Derek. 

“And I  _ wanted _ my family killed?” Derek demanded and when Scott swung, Derek took the punch to his stomach like a wall would have. He didn’t even blink. “You think I wanted some whiny teenager as the only possible member of a pack? The only people competent in this town are these two and they have no plans to stay.” He pushed Scott away from him as easily as Stiles would push a seven year old away.

“He's useless.” Derek snapped and turned away, marched up the stairs and Stiles heard his door slam.

“He's also innocent.” Stiles said to the stairs. “He's right. He didn't ask for this.”

There was only silence but Stiles knew that Derek heard him.

“It's our obligation to see that he is in a place that can care for him.” Stiles added and took the potatoes from his father and began to eat straight out of the bowl and returned to the foot of the stairs and continued to stare up at them.

“Your obligation. Not mine.” Derek shouted back.

Stiles nodded thoughtfully and looked at Scott who was grabbing his bag and leaving through the front door. “That's true. But you said that you felt a pull. So he belongs, at least somewhat distantly, to your pack. I'm not saying that you have an obligation as well-”

“But you have an obligation as well.” John said and joined Stiles. He was putting his belt on and nodding at the kitchen. Stiles waved him away. John shook his head and left.

There was a crash from his room and Stiles winced. “Please don't take your wolfy anger out on my stuff, please.”

“You have weapons  _ everywhere _ !” Derek shouted.

“I’m a special operative, Hale. It's part of my job.” Stiles replied. “I literally have to have weapons everywhere.”

“Your hamper? Really?”

“That saved my life  _ at least _ twice.”

***

“He's an idiot.” Derek grumbled later, spooning a disgusting amount of cookie dough ice cream into his mouth. He had cleaned up the mess of the coffee table in the living room while Stiles had cleaned the kitchen. 

“He's a child.” Stiles reminded Derek. “Literally sixteen years old and everything that he thought he knew was just thrown out the window and he thinks he is the villain. Give him a break.” He stared at the amount of mint chocolate chip on his own spoon and wondered if he could fit it in his mouth. He decided to go for it.

Derek stared at him, disgust written on his face. “You like him.” He accused.

Stiles tried to stave off a brain freeze but failed. He squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands to his head. “Of course I like him.” He said through gritted teeth and sighed when it passed. “Not liking Scott is like not liking rainbows. The kid is ridiculous.”

Derek sighed and chewed on his ice cream.  _ Chewed _ . Stiles shook his head and looked away. “What are you thinking?” Stiles asked.

“No idea. Hunt down the alpha. Do you have restraints?” Derek asked.

Stiles nodded. “And the hunters?” He asked slowly, not looking at Derek.

“Are you asking if I'm going to kill them?” Derek asked.

“You don't have to tell me.” Stiles said. If Derek told Stiles, than Stiles would have to tell Coach, and everything would be blown to hell. They would probably bring in the witches to mind wipe everyone, including Derek. And Derek forgetting all about Stiles-

Well, that was a line of thinking that Stiles was not going to follow, thank you very much. 

“I didn't come here to kill anyone but the person that killed my sister. If I happen to find the people that killed my family-” Derek shrugged. “Well.”

Stiles nodded. “Well.”

They were silent as they continued to finish off their ice cream.

“Where are you staying?” Stiles asked.

Derek didn't answer.

Stiles didn't push.

When midnight rolled around, Stiles stood. “I've got chemistry tomorrow. Can you believe that? I'm going to bed. There is an extra toothbrush in the bathroom, towels in the closet across the hall. Blankets and pillows are in there too. Couch pulls out and there is an extra bedroom down the hall from my room. If, you know, it's too late for you to go home.”

Derek nodded. “Thanks.”

“Sure thing. I'll see you in the morning?” Stiles asked.

Derek nodded again.

When Stiles woke up in the morning, Derek was gone.

But there was a pillow and blanket folded neatly in the extra bedroom and all the dishes had been washed and left to dry.


	5. Chapter 5

Each night, Stiles went out patrolling. There was a police enforced curfew but that was laughable. Stiles had been ducking the police since he was eleven and when his dad was one of them, it hardly made a difference if he broke curfew.

But there were too many people being attacked in Beacon Hills for the Stilinskis to be able to sleep at night.

Stiles listened while Scott recounted a dream where he hurt Allison but there was no news, nothing, so Stiles attempted to calm him.

“It just felt so  _ real _ .” Scott insisted and Stiles sighed.

“That's what dreams do, man. They convince you that what you see is real.” Stiles said. “I'm sure she's fine.”

They were walking out of the school when they saw the bus.

The same bus that Scott recounted.

It was blood splattered and the back door was torn off, hanging from its hinges. The crime scene was active but the sheriff was nowhere to be seen.

Stiles had faith that his dad would have told him, though. If there was a student attacked, his father would have said something to him-

His phone buzzed.

“Where are you?” John demanded as soon as Stiles answered.

“By the bus.”

John let out a breath. “I'm stuck at the station. I didn't see you this morning. Derek? Scott?”

“Fine, both fine.” Stiles said.

“I'll bring the file home later, but I don't know what time.” John said and Stiles heard papers in the back.

“Ok.” Stiles said. “That's fine.”

“Stiles, it was the bus driver. Ok?”

“Yeah, ok.” Stiles said and let out a breath. “Did you see-?”

“No, no cameras. Nothing.” John said.

“Ok.” Stiles said.

“Be careful, son.”

“You too, dad.”

When Stiles looked around, Scott was gone.

The bell rang and Stiles was torn between looking for Scott or waiting until their next class together to make sure he was ok.

The choice was made for him when Harris walked up behind him and gestured away from the bus. “Get to class, Mr. Stilinski.” He ordered.

Stiles wondered if he could get away with killing the man and passing it off as the alpha that was munching on people.

He would ask his dad later.

***

“What did you get?” John asked that night.

“Just some burgers and fries.” Stiles said and handed over a greasy bag to his dad.

“Curly fries?” John asked.

“You're lucky you get red meat, old man.” Stiles snorted.

“I am a professional killer trained by the US government. If I want the curly fries, I'm going to have the curly fries.”

Stiles shoved a handful in his mouth and chewed slowly, unimpressed by his father's statement. “Maybe if I hadn't been trained by the same people, I would be a little more threatened.” He finally said.

John rolled his eyes and snatched the fries out of Stiles' hands. Stiles snatched them back and began to shove as many as he could into his mouth while his father watched on in horror.

The radio crackled to life between them and interrupted their horrified silence.

“Unit one, do you copy?” Janet, the dispatcher that Stiles likes, sounded worried even through the radio.

“Copy.” John said into the radio.

“We got a report of a possible 187.” She said and rattled off the address.

John looked at Stiles and Stiles felt one of the fries fall out of his overstuffed mouth.

He turned the lights and siren on and they left the parking lot of the burger joint.

When they got to the video store, Lydia and Jackson were sitting in the back of an ambulance, looking irritated.

That was a weird response from civilians, no matter how cool these teenagers thought they were.

“Why the hell can't I just go home? I'm fine.” Jackson snapped at the Sheriff.

John's face was a mask of patience. “I hear you, but the EMT says you hit your head pretty hard. They just wanna make sure you don't have a concussion.” His eyes drifted to Stiles and he could practically hear his dad's voice in his head,  _ What is this kid's  _ deal?

Stiles shrugged.

“What part of  _ I'm fine _ are you having a problem grasping? Okay? I wanna go home.” Jackson said.

“And I understand that.” John said, looking from Jackson to Lydia.

Jackson stood up, rather suddenly and was probably trying to look threatening.

“No, you don't understand, which kind of blows my mind, since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum wage rent-a-cop like you! Okay, now, I wanna go home!” Jackson shouted in his father's face.

“Acting awfully strange for someone who just saw a body.” John said, slowly and looked Jackson up and down. “Is there a  _ reason _ why you want away from this place so badly? Did you do something, son?” John put a hand on Jackson's shoulder and plastered that I'm-your-friend-kid-you-can-talk-to-me look on his face that he knew was a personal insult to people everywhere. “Is there anything I should know?”

Jackson opened his mouth and the Sheriff raised his eyebrows.

Jackson sat back down.

“That's what I thought.” John said. 

They were all distracted by the paramedics wheeling a body out of the store and Stiles caught Lydia looking at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and she shook her head.

Jackson was glaring at him.

Stiles shifted, like he had been caught doing something. When he glanced up, he saw Derek and Scott on the roof. Derek put a finger to his lips.

Stiles looked away and when he glanced up a few minutes later, they were gone.

An hour later, Stiles decided to walk back home. There was nothing for him to do there and he wanted to see if Derek picked anything up. As he was leaving, a man approached his father and Stiles slowed his walk way down.

“Dr. Deaton.” John said politely. “Were you able to gather anything?”

The man paused and shifted his bag. “It looks like another mountain lion attack, sir.”

Stiles walked home.

When he opened the door and walked in, Stiles felt tired. Another person, another death, and they hadn't done a damn thing about it. In fact, they couldn't even find the person who was doing it.

In the living room, he sat down with a huff and Derek looked over at him. There was an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on and Stiles smiled at it.

Derek handed him a container of orange chicken.

Stiles ate it silently all the while watching Riley pine after Buffy.

“He was my least favorite of her boyfriends.” Derek said.

“You strike me more as an Angel fan.” Stiles said.

“Nah. I'm mostly a Spike fan.” Derek said.

“Mostly?” Stiles asked.

“You know, if they hadn't done [ that one episode](http://www.criticallytouched.com/buffy/6x19_seeing_red.php) , I would have been a Spuffy fan all the way.” Derek murmured.

Stiles shuddered. “I agree.”

They sat in silence for a long time and Stiles leaned his head back onto the couch for a while until he heard the door open.

When he opened his eyes, his dad was passing from the front hall into the kitchen. “Parent teacher conferences Thursday.”

“Ugh.” Stiles replied.

“Will it be good news? How will I react?” John asked and snatched a container from the table in front of Stiles and Derek.

“My grades are fine. You might kill Harris but that's an all around benefit for everyone, because he's a dick. While we're at it, can I kill Jackson?” Stiles asked.

John hummed. “Not this week.”

Stiles sighed. “I'm going to go to bed.”

“Me too.” Derek said and they stood. They took turns in the bathroom and Derek tossed Stiles a book from his room. “I thought of you. I think you might like it.”

_ The Art of War _ .

Stiles had read it but he held it in his hand and flipped it open anyway. “Thank you.” He said honestly.

Derek shrugged. “Good night.”

“Night.” Stiles said.

***

“Can you patrol tonight?” John asked when he got home at eight the next day. “I mean, I could, but fuck it. I don't want to.”

“I have  _ chemistry _ .” Stiles said, glaring at his notes, “Of  _ course _ I will go patrol.” He said and finished off a solution and threw his pencil at the book. “I hate undercover.” He muttered. “Can I be a drop out next time?”

John snorted.

Stiles grabbed his holster, his Glock, and a loose canvas jacket. There was a black beanie tucked in the pocket and he put his boots on. “I'm going to stay in near the tree line.”

“Be careful.” John reminded him. His eyes were distant until he blinked and gave Stiles a smile. There was something on his mind.

“I will.” Stiles said.

He left out the back door and his phone went off.

**Scott:**

_ Going out with Allison, Jackson, and Lydia :( it's a group thing. Coming? _

**Stiles:**

_ Love to but I'm busy with all that shit we talked about _

There was a long pause and Stiles wondered if he would be able to keep Scott as a friend much longer. Then his phone buzzed once more.

**Scott:**

_ Be careful _

Stiles smirked and replied:

_ Always am, buddy. Good luck. Have fun. Do you have a condom? I can drop one by. _

**Scott:**

_ Stilesfdsjkl _

Another long pause and then:

_ It's not like that. I like Allison. _

Stiles took a selfie of him giving the screen a thumbs up and sent it before he put his phone on silent and tucked it away. Stiles thought of the first time he had been allowed to patrol by himself. He was ten and they were in Denver at the time. 

That night, he stopped three muggings and rescued a box of kittens that had been left out in the freezing weather to die.

Since then, Stiles found that patrolling was his natural way to decompress, to let his thoughts wander, to find a way to think about the case on hand without actually thinking about it.

The woods were silent and he avoided any kind of paths, animal or human. Lights drew him to a gas station and he was about to step out of shadows and into the light when he saw Derek gassing up. He stopped and admired the view for a moment and then watched as a red Tahoe pulled up in front of Derek and another silver one pull in behind him. Derek was working the bad boy vibe pretty hard tonight; dark jeans and the leather jacket with the black sports car. Whoever was in the SUVs didn't get out and Stiles melted back into the shadows and slipped a small hearing aid in his ear, developed from a model based on a wolf's eardrum. He watched as Chris Argent stepped out of the red vehicle and approach Derek. Belatedly, Stiles remembered to turn on the aid and by then Chris was already speaking, and for some insane fucking reason,  _ washing Derek's windshield _ .

“-I'm very protective of the things I love. But that's something I learned from my family. And you don't have much of that these days. Do you?” Stiles pulled out his gun and took aim Chris’ center mass. He could easily kill him. It would make him feel  _ so _ much better.

But Stiles held back. If this was one of the people that took out Laura, Derek deserved this, not him. So he put his gun down and watched Derek clench his fists but remain silent, even as Chris stepped back.

Derek's entire posture screamed of tension and fury and a barely leashed violence and Stiles was already reaching for his phone to call in a favor to possibly cover up Derek killing Chris.

Instead, Derek relaxed, his posture loosened and he tilted his chin up and back at Chris. Still, he didn't say anything. But the man noted his relaxation and smirked.

“There we go.” He said and gestured to car. “You can actually look through your windshield now. See how that makes everything so much clearer?”

He turned and finally, Derek spoke.

“You forgot to check the oil.”

Stiles snorted and there was a twitch in Derek's shoulder. He heard Stiles.

Chris paused and then turned to the other two that were lounging by the silver SUV.

“Check the man's oil.” He said.

One stood and walked over to Derek's car. He had an automatic rifle in his hand and he swung it up and broke out Derek's window.

“Looks good to me.” He said and they climbed into the other two.

Chris looked to Derek and that smirk was still there.

“Drive safely.” He said.

He got back in his SUV and they both left.

Derek turned and frowned at his broken window and if that was all, Stiles might have forgotten it all and moved on. But that look on Derek's face, blank and careful, like he refused to think about this thing, this one more thing that had happened in such a long list of things that just kept  _ happening _ , that spurred Stiles into action.

He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.

“This is the Operator. How can I direct your call?”

“Automotive, please.” Stiles said.

“Thank you, sir.” She said and there was a ring and someone else picked up.

“Auto, this is DeeDee, how can I help you?”

“Dee, love of my life, how are you?”

“Agent Stilinski, are you taking care of my baby?” DeeDee asked, referring to Stiles' mom's Jeep that Dee had kept running, sometimes through sheer willpower alone.

“Like she were my own flesh and blood.” Stiles said and stepped out into the light and onto the asphalt. “Listen, I have a thing I was wondering if you could take care of?”

“Lay it on me, dollface.” Dee said.

“Brand new Camaro. It got its driver's side window busted out.” Stiles said, striding up to the car and looking inside.

There was a pause, “And?”

“Oh, no. That's it.” Stiles said.

She let out a huff, “Baby, that's not even a challenge. Tell Hale to leave it where it is, we'll drop it off at your place.”

Stiles looked around and spotted the camera above the fuel pump and waved.

“Yes, darling, I can see you.” Dee drawled.

“Thank you, Dee. I owe you a root beer.” Stiles said.

She laughed and hung up.

Derek stared at him over the hood of his car.

“So.” Stiles said and pulled off his beanie and looked over the hood of Derek's car at him. “You come here often?” He leered at Derek. 

“Why are you here?” Derek asked, not taking the bait.

“Patrolling.”

“There's a curfew.”

“I literally have a license to kill.” Stiles pointed out.

Derek sighed.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Stiles asked.

“Why?” Derek said sarcastically. There was a mean edge to his voice that put Stiles on guard. Then the glass crunched under his feet and he reminded himself that Derek wasn't just having a bad day, but kind of a spectacularly shitty life. “You want to take me out for milkshakes and the new scary movie that's playing downtown? Hold my hand? Maybe a goodnight kiss?”

Stiles pushed past the sting of Derek's words and shrugged. “I mean, if that's what you want to do, I'm in. I'm  _ so _ fucking in. Would you buy the popcorn if I bought your ticket?” He threw a forearm across the top of the car and winked.

Derek growled.

“But that's not what I'm offering.” Stiles said.

Derek raised an eyebrow slowly and Stiles did not miss the way Derek's eyes flicked down to his throat, to his lips and finally up to his eyes.

“I'm not having sex with you either.” Derek said flatly.

Stiles pinched the bridge of his nose and wished that he had his glasses instead of contacts just this one time so that he could have something to fidget with. Maybe he would wear them tomorrow, just so he would have something to fiddle with when it came to the inevitable dealing-with-a-werewolf part of his day.

“I get that that's all that people want when they see you and I am not one to fault the goods, but that's not what I'm talking about either.” Stiles said, after counting to ten and lowering his hand.

Derek sighed and looked away.

“Are you in?” Stiles asked.

“I don't know what you want to do.” Derek said.

Stiles leaned in and found the button that opened the trunk and pushed it.

“I just need you for a lookout. I'm going to do all the heavy lifting.” Stiles said and pulled the tire iron out of Derek's trunk. He hefted the it in his hands and looked to Derek.

Derek's eyes traced the metal bar and Stiles' arm.

“Ok.” He said.

Running with a wolf was exhilarating, something that Stiles could never get enough of. It felt like flying. When they stopped running, they were in front of a rundown trailer house and the silver SUV was parked in front of it. It backed into the forest, like most of the homes in Beacon Hills.

“You stay here.” Stiles said. He took the tire iron from Derek and flicked open his knife. “If you hear anything, let me know.” He said tapped his ear. “I'll hear you.”

“Why don't you want me to help?” Derek asked.

“Because I'm sure your fingerprints are already on file. Mine aren't. Mine never will be.” Stiles headed out to the SUV. He used a small electronic device that he kept in his belt to unlock the vehicle and once he had the door open, he used his knife to slice the interior open. He uncapped a bottle that he kept in his boot that contained deer urine and splashed it over the console, pouring a liberal amount over the GPS and sound system. He continued methodically, slicing open the interior of the car. Finally, he went to work on the tires, slicing three of them open.

He looked over his shoulder at Derek who was watching him, his mouth open.

“Ok, keep an ear out.” He said and waited until Derek nodded, slowly.

Stiles hefted the tire iron in his hand and putting it through the windshield was almost as satisfying as getting a blow job after killing the bad guy. The other windows did nothing to lessen the feeling.

“Ok, we gotta go.” Derek said. “They heard something.”

Stiles didn't doubt his words. He ran for the spot where Derek stood and they took off. Stiles led the way and it took them another twenty minutes to reach their second destination because Stiles was still human, after all.

There were three cars in the driveway of Chris Argent's house.

He had to call it in to HQ to make sure that he had identified Chris correctly and when they sent him a picture, Stiles got his address in the same message. It was an easy enough find.

It was a testament to Stiles’ reputation that HQ wasn’t even surprised that he needed the information and when they asked why and he answered honestly, they only gave the order not to be seen. 

He smiled at Derek and dashed for the cars. He knew he would only have time to destroy one of the car's windows, so he settled for keying one of the cars, ruining the interior of both the SUV and the car he was sure wasn’t Allison’s, before jumping on the hood of the SUV and looking to Derek.

“Am I still good?” He whispered.

Derek nodded.

Stiles swung.

Floodlights came on.

Stiles let out a whoop and jumped off the vehicle and ran for the woods. 

Derek ran after him and then Stiles was slung over his shoulder and it felt like they really were flying.

Derek didn't stop until they were in the Stilinski's backyard. He was breathing hard and Stiles stumbled and fell to the ground at his feet, still clutching the tire iron to his chest.

“Are you  _ insane _ ?” Derek demanded.

“No. HQ wouldn't let me out in the field if my psychological state was not one hundred percent.” Stiles replied, perfectly honest. “I can discern reality from fantasy.” He added.

Derek's face contorted, like he wanted to laugh and growl and shift and tear Stiles' face off all at once.

“I hate rude behavior in a man, won’t tolerate it.” Stiles said, affecting a Texas accent.

Derek’s mouth twitched, like he wanted to laugh. Instead, he left Stiles on the ground, clutching the tire iron and stormed inside.

When he walked into the house, his father was on the couch, feet propped up, beer in hand.

“Why is Derek pissed? Why did someone drop his car off? Where has he been?” John asked.

“It's a long story. The window needed to be replaced. I don't know.” Stiles said. “I'm going to bed.”

“Night, son.” John said.

“Night, dad.” Stiles said wearily and headed for the stairs.

“Hey, Stiles?” His dad called before he got there.

“Yeah?” Stiles said.

“Anything you want to tell me?”

Stiles stilled. His father wasn't stupid. He would know what to look for, the slight turn of Derek's head, the (mostly) unquestioning way Derek followed him, how Derek had taken up Stiles' offer to stay with them-

And that wasn’t even counting the way Stiles turned to him, always kept Derek in his line of sight, how he could probably give accurate measurements of his entire body.

John wasn't a stupid man.

“Concerning what, dad?” Stiles asked.

John frowned and looked down at the carpet, as though he were weighing his answer. Finally he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. “Where you were tonight and why you have a tire iron in your hands.”

Stiles looked at his hand, feeling betrayed by his own body that he forgot to toss it away.

“You might be getting a visit from Argent tomorrow.” Stiles said.

John appeared to be satisfied with that answer.

Stiles went upstairs and ran his hand across Derek's closed door. “Goodnight,” He muttered and knew that Derek heard him.


	6. Chapter 6

Stiles stashed the tire iron underneath a loose floorboard in his room before he left for school. His dad was already gone and when Stiles went to go get his bag, there was a note and a brown bag on top of it.

_ Stop eating the shitty school lunches. _

_ -D _

Stiles smiled, wide and easy. He put the bag in his backpack, grabbed his keys, and headed to school.

It was a pretty easy day and Stiles was able to zone out for most of it, only really concentrating during the chemistry test and lunch, when he pulled out the incredible sandwich that Derek had clearly put a lot of effort into.

“Wow, dude.” Scott said and Stiles gave him half.

Allison sat down next to them and frowned at her own lunch, paltry compared to Stiles'. “Ugh.”

“What's wrong?” Scott asked.

“Someone vandalized all of our cars last night. Dad was in a mood and barely gave me time to put anything together.” Allison said.

Stiles concentrated on his lunch while Allison listed all the things that were done to their cars. It was hard for Stiles to dredge up any sympathy; her father was going to learn, one way or the other.

The warning bell rang and Stiles realized that his math book was still in the Jeep.

“Shit.” He muttered, “I have to go get my book.”

Scott waved him off.

Stiles was shoving his book in his bag when hands were on his shoulders and spinning him around and pushing him roughly against the Jeep.

Chris Argent was in his face, teeth bared, breathing hard.

Stiles tried, not very hard, to push him away. “What the hell!” He half screamed, and students paused in their hurry to get back to their classes to see what was happening to the new kid.

“What is your deal?” Argent demanded. “Did Hale hire you to do his dirty work?”

“ _ Who _ ?” Stiles demanded, his voice cracking. He widened his eyes and tried to look scared.

“How much is he paying you?  _ How _ is he paying you?” Argent demanded.

“What the fuck are you-?” Stiles started and tried to push his way out from under Argent's way but Argent slammed him up against the Jeep again.

“ _ Answer me _ !”

The bell rang and the few kids vanished, too worried about class to stick around.

Stiles was grateful.

He broke Argent's hold on him easily and it was three moves and he had a knife to Argent's throat and those pale blue were narrowed at Stiles.

“Do you know who my dad is?” Stiles asked casually and he saw Argent register the calm, how the panic had melted from him because it was never real.

“The Sheriff.” Argent replied.

“Think about that.” Stiles advised and slipped his knife into his bag. “Think about that real hard.”

“Who are you?” Argent asked.

Stiles offered him a crooked grin and said, “ _ Nous tuons les tueurs _ _. _ ” He readjusted his bag on his shoulders and gave Argent a deceptively flirty smile, looking up at him through his lashes, “And when you figure it out, when you figure out who we are, and what kind of business we have here with the Hales and the Argents, maybe your piece on the board will move.” Stiles dug the apple that he had leftover from lunch out of his bag and took a big bite out of it. “Until then,” Stiles winked, “Checkmate.”

***

“Why do you smell like Argent?” Derek asked that night while they sat at the kitchen table.

“He came to the school and threatened me.” Stiles replied.

There was a long moment and Stiles tapped one finger against the back of Derek's hand where the claws had slid free. He didn't say anything to Derek until they were gone.

“I think he just knew it was me who went after his car. I think he thought I was your goon.”

“Goon?”

“Henchman. Hired muscle-”

Derek snorted.

“Goon. You know.”

There was a long silence.

“Derek,  _ what _ ? I don't have to concentrate on this trig but you just sitting there is wigging me out.”

“Nothing. I just... like to sit here.” Derek replied shortly. Stiles looked up at Derek and there was such a soft, open look on his face that Stiles had to stop himself from putting a hand to his cheek. Stiles licked his lips and Derek’s eyes flickered down to his mouth and Stiles knew he was not mistaken when he saw the same want in Derek’s eyes. 

Until Derek cleared his throat and looked away.

Stiles passed him a book from his backpack, some classic he was supposed to read for English, that he had read a few years ago.

Derek opened it.

Stiles finished his trig and Derek read. When the math was finished, they started dinner.

Everything was how it should be.

***

“Were you the one who did all of that to our cars?” Allison demanded the next day at lunch when he sat down.

Stiles looked from Allison to Scott to Lydia back to Allison.

“No. But I would like to know why your dad hates me?” Stiles asked. Sometimes lying was exhausting.

Sometimes it was easy.

Allison shook her head. “My dad is insistent that it was you, for some reason. He told me to stay away from you and if you didn't stay away from me-” She shrugged.

“If I didn't stay away from you, then what?” Stiles asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

Allison rolled her eyes. “He said he would take care of it.”

“Isn't your dad supposed to go after the guy you are dating?” Stiles asked and pointed a carrot stick at Scott.

“Yeah, I don't know what's going on with him lately.” She shrugged. “My aunt is coming into town though, so maybe she will put him in a better mood.”

Stiles fell silent and he lost his appetite pretty quickly. There was a low buzz in his ears and he swallowed hard and his hand was already reaching for his bag when he stopped himself.

“-okay?” Lydia said from across the table.

Stiles looked up at her and she looked concerned for once.

His phone rang.

Stiles looked down at the ID and saw Derek's number on the screen.

He grabbed it and left the table and answered the call as he stepped outside.

“Take a deep breath.” Derek said.

Stiles sucked in a deep breath, one after the other.

“No, too fast.” Derek said. “Where are your keys?”

Stiles felt for them in his pocket and pulled them out. He was blindly following Derek's voice.

“Hold them in your hand, hold onto them as hard as you can.” Derek said.

The metal cut into his hand and he focused on the pain of it, until he felt his breathing even out, until he could force his hand open and stare at the indents in his fingers.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Derek asked slowly.

“She's coming.” Stiles whispered.

“Who?”

“Kate.”

The line went dead in his hand.


	7. Chapter 7

“Well, she knows that Derek is here after your little... adventure.” John said to Stiles at dinner that night. “Her brother told her, I'm sure.”

“So he just leaves?” Stiles asked. “I thought he was all gung-ho on finding his sister's killer?”

John drummed his fingers on the table and pinned Stiles in place with a look. “Is that the only reason you are concerned that his bag is gone from the room you offered him upstairs and his car is gone from the driveway?”

“First, if I hadn't offered it, you would have.” Stiles said. “Second, I have no idea what you are talking about.” He even sniffed daintily, like his father had offended his honor.

“Scott.” John said suddenly and Scott jumped, like John had startled him. “You can smell things, right? Things that you didn't before?”

Scott nodded.

“What do I smell like, right now?” John asked, grinding his teeth together.

“Cookies that have been in the oven almost too long.” Scott said and smiled, proud of himself.

“Frustration.” John said, pointing at himself. “What does Stiles smell like?”

“Dead grass that been baking in the sun.” Scott said.

Stiles groaned.

“What?” Scott asked.

“Deception.” John said and poked a finger in his son's direction. “Really, Stiles? _Really_?”

“Oh my god, dad. I'm sorry. But have you seen the guy?” Stiles huffed.

John glared at him. “With his past-”

“I haven't so much as given him the Bambi eyes.” Stiles said. “I wouldn't-” Stiles gagged a little at the thought. “I wouldn't try anything with him. _Jesus,_ dad. Like the poor guy hasn't been through enough and to have to deal with me and my-” Stiles gesticulated wildly.

John's eyes softened. “No one should have to _deal_ with you, son. You're great. Derek would be lucky to have you.” He paused. “I'm just saying that Derek has a past that needs to be dealt with before...” He sighed. “Before.” He finally concluded.

“I know.” Stiles said quietly. “I just- I'm concerned. That Kate shows up and Derek's gone. It's a pattern of behavior, dad.”

John sat back. He nodded and his gaze went distant. Scott looked from John to Stiles, who was watching his dad intently.

“Dad, what?” Stiles finally asked.

John drummed his fingers on the table and sat forward. “When Chris came to me the other day to make the report about his vehicles, he was acting strange. He asked if we ever found the other half of Laura's body. He didn't say her name though. He just kept saying _the girl_.”

“I'm not sure what you are getting at.” Stiles said, confused.

“I don't think it was him.” John said. “He seemed uncomfortable, especially when I brought up the Hale house. I even asked him if he knew what had happened to that 'poor family' and he looked like he was going to be sick.”

“He's a _hunter_ , dad.” Stiles said. The word left a black taste in his mouth, like a body that had been burned and the ashes were shoved down his throat.

“You know, this attitude that you have to hunters isn't a healthy way to approach this job.” John said. “It's like their views on the supernatural. It's not always cut and dry.”

Stiles glared. “Our job and the word 'healthy' don't belong in the same sentence, typically.”

“What do you mean?” Scott piped up, finally having finished his second burger of the night. He reached for another.

“A lot of hunters think that all the supernatural creatures out there are bad. Most even have a contingency plan in the event that they are turned or bitten or what have you.” John said.

“Contingency plan?” Scott asked.

“They usually ask their partner, significant other, husband or wife to kill them.” Stiles said. “They would rather be dead than to be a shifter.”

“Isn't that their choice?” Scott asked, looking hesitant.

Stiles strummed his fingers on the table and had to remind himself that Scott was still learning and that whoever his alpha was abandoned him.

“I see your point and where you are going with that.” Stiles said and glanced out the window. “But these are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and husbands and wives. What would you do if you had a kid and you got bit? Would you rather die and leave the kid without a dad or learn how to be who you are?”

Scott met his eyes and Stiles remembered his file.

Scott's father had left. Stiles knew it was a cheap shot.

“I would learn.” Scott said.

Stiles nodded and rubbed his temples. This job was getting under his skin unlike all the others. Undercover did that to him. It made him _want_. His father had noted that when they met Heather, a newly turned vampire. Stiles taught her how to hunt without killing and John knew that Stiles would have stayed with her if he was given the choice.

Thing is, HQ doesn't really offer choices.

But Derek Hale and that broken look on his face when he saw the busted window on his car and made Stiles step into the light and make the call to HQ and vandalize all those cars- he had done something. Twisted something up in Stiles that made him angry and sad and fond and tender all at once. It was like a living nest of snakes inside him that he couldn't tame.

“It isn't always like that.” John said and looked at Stiles. Stiles could see the weariness in his face, in the lines that were deepening around his eyes and mouth. “But that's not what I want to talk about.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Stiles asked.

“I don't think Chris and his family were part of the Hale murders.” John said.

Stiles nodded and looked down.

The tension was like another living, breathing person in the room with them. Even Scott stopped moving around so much.

“Tell me what you are thinking.” John said.

Stiles pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“Don't make me pull rank.” John snapped. His patience was just as thin as Stiles' was on this subject.

Stiles remained silent.

“Are you calling me out, sir?” Stiles asked, his voice brittle.

“I am telling you to give me your report thus far on the mission. I might be your dad, but I can still bust you down.” John said. He was grinding his own teeth.

These were the times when Claudia's loss was most keenly felt. She would have been able to smooth things over between them with a look and a press of her hand.

“The information that has been given to me in the reports and my first hand impression of the Argents as a whole, has given me the idea that they are, to some degree or another, involved with the Hale massacre, sir. Whether Chris was there to light the fire, spread the accelerant, or to trap the family inside, is above my pay grade and I have not been given either the leave or the direction to find that out, _sir_ . However, the circumstantial evidence, that of Derek Hale and Kate Argent being in a relationship that broke several human laws and the fact that the fire started inside the house, despite the fact that Talia Hale had installed several layers of complex security, is too much to ignore. We both have dealt with cases in which hunters had used sex and the pretense of intimacy to get inside packs and destroy them from the inside out. More than four of them implied that Kate Argent has been using that trick for at least ten years. _Sir_.” Stiles said. The words left a bitter taste on his tongue.

“And we have also worked cases in which supernatural teams have used their own nature to bring families of hunters down.” John pointed.

“So Derek killed his family to come back ten years later to kill Laura?” Stiles asked, sarcastic.

“I need you to look at all the aspects of this case.” John said.

“And what have you told me since I was five years old? Usually, the most obvious suspect is the one who did it.” Stiles pointed out.

“Your eagerness to save Derek is clouding your judgment.” John said.

“Saving Derek is not part of the mission.” Stiles said.

John looked at him. “When has something had to be part of the mission to garner your attention?”

Stiles clamped his mouth shut. “What are your orders, sir?” Stiles asked.

“Leave the Argents out of this. Focus on Laura and her activities in the time leading up to her death. Blend in and act like an actual fucking teenager. Ask someone to the winter formal.” John rubs his forehead. “Stay away from that family. Keep an ear out for Derek.”

Stiles pursed his lips. “Fine.” He muttered and got up from the table. Scott scrambled after him.

In his room, Scott sat on the chair and looked at Stiles.

“Tell me something teenager-y.” Stiles said. “I can't get into the headspace just like that.” He said.

“Coach said I can't go to the school dance. Jackson and Lydia broke up. I'm failing three classes.” Scott said.

Stiles felt some of the tension fade. “Thanks, buddy.” He said. “Are you going to the dance?”

“I- uh-” Scott looked around and Stiles can see that he's thinking about throwing himself out the window. Too bad it was lined with mountain ash.

“What?”

“I saw Derek.” He said.

“What?” Stiles sat up and looked at Scott. “When?”

“After practice today. You had already left but he gave me this.” Scott pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Stiles. “He said that you would need it.”  

It was a medallion.

Stiles mentally catalogued everything about it. Silver, about the size of a dollar coin, on a long, thin chain. The chain seemed to be made out of silver too.

It was the Hale crest. It offered the full protection of the Hale pack and the packs that were associated with the, which were… considerable.  

“Oh.” Stiles said and slipped it over his head before tucking it under his shirt. It was cold against his chest.

“Yeah.” Scott whispered. “What does it mean?”

“He really did leave.” Stiles said, more to himself than Scott.

Scott looked at the window again.

“I hate-” Stiles stopped himself because he couldn't figure out the words to put at the end of that sentence. “ _Everything_.” He finished. “What happened?”

“He said that he was too much of a target. That he had to leave because it was going to end like last time.” Scott was speaking mostly to his hands.

“Ah.” Stiles said and stood up. He couldn't expect Scott to act like anything but the kid he was. He wasn't like the agents that Stiles had grown up with; in fact, he was just a child that had gotten thrown in the middle of a war. Scott didn’t understand the packs and their dynamics, how they worked together and what it meant for Derek to leave but offer them the promise of protection from the hunters.

Stiles went to the desk and gently pushed Scott away on the chair, sending him spinning. He needed to think about anything else. “Before and since me and dad got here there have been four deaths. The bus driver.” Stiles pinned the picture to the cork board above his desk. “The video clerk person when Jackson and Lydia were kind of caught in the middle.” He pinned another picture. “And these two,” Stiles said and pinned two more pictures up on the board, “Were killed in the woods.”

Below it, he put Laura's picture. She was turned away from the camera, but her smile was clear and she was reaching for something. There was an ocean in the background and her hair was streaming behind her.

“And Laura.” Scott whispered.

“I think these are all done by the same person.” Stiles said after a long moment.

“Do you think it's Derek?” His dad asked from the door.

“Why would you think it’s him?” Stiles asked honestly. The tension was gone now and he wanted to hear what his father had to say, if there was something that he knew or had picked up on that Stiles just hadn’t.

“Bus driver was an insurance investigator that was sent out to the Hale house. He was later fired for fraud. Video clerk is a convicted felon who did time for arson. The other two were also arrested under suspicion of arson.” John said and stepped further into the room. “Derek has a pretty good reason to kill all of them.”

Stiles drummed his fingers on his chin and looked around.

“It would be the most logical answer but-” Stiles sighed

“But you have faith that it wasn't him?” John said, already sounding weary.

“No. I mean, I know it wasn't him.” Stiles said. “Because if the same person killed those four killed Laura, it couldn't be Derek.” He looked over at his dad. “You said it yourself, dad. You don't think Derek killed Laura. Has something changed your mind?”

John stepped up to the cork board and Stiles could feel Scott's eyes on them both. John reached for Laura's picture and carefully unfolded it. On the other half was Derek, turned to his sister, grinning broadly and playfully pushing her hand away. They were golden, caught in the sun like they were beloved children of Apollo himself, healthy, happier than Stiles had ever seen Derek. The picture was taken two days before Laura left for Beacon Hills, a week before she died.

“No.” John whispered. “I don't.” Stiles looked to his dad and his dad frowned and looked out the window. John nodded. “I’ll look into a few things.” He said. He pulled Stiles into a rough hug and Stiles knew that his dad had heard the conversation between him and Scott. “Can I see it?” His dad asked.

Stiles pulled it out of his shirt and pulled it off his neck. His dad examined it and nodded. “Talia gave your mom one just like it, right before we got married.”

“She did?” Stiles said.

John nodded. “They got along like a house on fire.”

John handed it back and Stiles slipped it back on and John made to leave the room.

“Hey dad?” Stiles said.

“Yeah?” John said and poked his head back in the room.

“Please never use that idiom around Derek.”

“Jesus.” Scott whispered, understanding.

“Good idea.” John said.

***

“Do me a favor.” Stiles said to Scott as they changed out of their street clothes and into their gym clothes the next day after school.

Scott turned to him and raised his eyebrows. “What's up?”

“Can you- ok, don't take this the wrong way, but can you stay out of my way at practice?” Stiles asked.

Scott looked surprised and then followed Stiles' look to Jackson where he stood talking with Danny. “Is this because of what he said to your dad?”

Stiles nodded.

Scott held his hands up and gave Stiles puppy eyes. “I didn't see anything.” He said. “I was on the other side of the field, coach, I swear.” He even stuck his lower lip out on the last line.

“Good man.” Stiles said and grabbed his lacrosse stick.

Coach sent them through warm ups, screamed at how shambling, half dead dogs were faster than them and then he set them up in a scrimmage.

Scott and Stiles were on the same team, opposite Jackson.

“Hey, how's the rent-a-cop?” Jackson asked as he adjusted his face mask. “Is he having trouble paying for your equipment? I could give you my old stick.”

“No one wants your bent stick.” Stiles said. “It's probably can't even get anything in the net.”

A couple of the boys snickered.

Jackson went red and he sneered.

Stiles laughed.

Coach blew the whistle.

Just as Stiles figured he would, Jackson barreled straight for Stiles. Stiles planted his feet, waited until Jackson was too close to stop his own momentum, and ducked. When he felt Jackson's weight hit his shoulder, he stood, lifted with his legs, and Jackson was flung over his shoulder.

Stiles stood over him. “Something wrong with your _stick_?” Stiles asked.

Jackson's eyes were surprised and a little hurt.

Stiles walked away.

But he wasn't done with Jackson. Not by a long shot.

Twenty minutes later, Stiles was standing over Jackson _again_ , when he hunkered down and tilted Jackson’s face mask in his direction. “Hey, maybe that bottom feeder lawyer daddy of yours can tell you how to actually play the game?”

Danny had to help Jackson off the field.

“Jesus, dude.” Scott said, joining Stiles.

Stiles could only shrug.

“Stilinski, I hope you are good to play for tomorrow!” Coach screamed at him and crossed the field, “Because you just put my best player down!”

Stiles shrugged again. “Sure.”

Coach seemed to deflate a little at Stiles' answer. “Get off my field.” He ordered. As Stiles passed Coach, his hand shot out and he looked Stiles right in the eye. “You better be able to play tomorrow, Stilinski, or I will hunt you down myself and _feed you to the wolves_.”

Coach’s words were not to be taken lightly. The Old Houses kept feral werewolves in a sanctuary.

Stiles tried to shake off his words as he changed and headed out to the Jeep but he couldn't. As a little kid, the feral wolves gave him nightmares.

The parking lot was mostly full still and as he pulled out, Derek stepped in front of him and Stiles slammed on the brakes.

Scott was on the sidewalk and it looked like he was about to go talk to Allison but he caught sight of Derek first.

Stiles threw the door open and climbed out.

“Jesus, dude, what happened?” Scott hissed as Stiles got Derek’s arm around his shoulders. Stiles took one look at Derek, how pale he was, how he was shivering and sweating, at how he clutched his arm and the black lines running up towards his heart and he knew what it was.

“He’s been poisoned.”

“She found me.” Derek slurred.

“Figures.” Stiles hissed. “Come on, big guy, give me a hand here.”

Derek managed to get one foot in front of the other and fell into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing tonight?” Stiles asked Scott.

“Dinner at Allison’s, why?”

“Fuck.” Stiles said and pulled off his glasses. He wiped at his face. “Keep your phone on and I mean it, McCall.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Scott asked.

“I’m going to need you to do something for me and it’s pretty fucking important.” They made their way over to the driver’s side of the Jeep. A car honked behind them. Stiles flipped them off. “Remember what I said about the Hales needing to stay alive?”

Scott nodded.

“He’s dying.” Stiles said. “We _can’t_ let that happen, ok?”

Scott nodded again.

“Good man. I’ll text you.”

In the car, Stiles dialed the Operator’s number.

“Operator, what do you need?” A pleasant voice answered.

Stiles let out a breath. “Medical. Closest medical.”

“Agent code?” She asked in that same pleasant voice even though Stiles could hear her fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Agent Mischief here. Code black.” Stiles replied.

Derek let out a low groan. Stiles looked over to see him sweating and pale. His entire arm had thick black lines running up and down it.

“Was the Sheriff informed?”

“No time, give me coordinates or give me medical.” Stiles snapped.

“Yes, Agent. Hold please.” She said.

“What do you have?” Another voice asked.

“Wolfsbane.” Stiles said.

“Patient name?”

“Derek Hale.”

“Shit.” The woman said evenly. “How bad?”

“It looks like he was shot in the arm, just below the bicep. Where do I take him?”

“Alan Deaton. He has an office-”

“Got it.” Stiles said. He tossed the phone into his console and looked over at Derek. “Alright, let’s do this.” He said.

Derek’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out.

***

Once at Deaton’s office, Derek managed to help get himself in and on the table before passing out again and leaving Stiles with no answers.

He looked at the clock and called Scott.

“How is he?” Scott asked.

“Well, he’s- um, he’s dying.” Stiles choked out and nodded. He ran a hand through his hair and pulled.  

“ _What_?” Scott said. “How in- what- I’ll be right over. I’ll just tell Allison it’s a family emergency.”

“No, I need you in there.” Stiles said. “I think-” He sighed. “Ok, I need you to trust me right now. I need you to do what I say and I promise you Scott, I’ll do whatever I can to get you to the dance, get you a date with Allison, _whatever_.”

“Ok.” Scott said in a small voice but Stiles wanted to hug him because he could hear a note of bravery in there. A note of I’ll-do-whatever-it-takes.

“Is Allison’s aunt there?”

“Yeah.” Scott said.

“Here’s what I need you to do…”

***

“Mischief here.” Stiles answered when his phone rang. He turned speakerphone on as a convulsion racked Derek’s frame and he tried to hold him down.

“How’s Hale?” A woman asked coolly.

Stiles closed his eyes.

“Director.” He said formally. “He is dying.”

“You can’t let him die, Agent.” She said softly.

Stiles shivered at the sound of magic in her voice, sparking way too close to the surface. Beacon Hills, and in turn the nemeton, were too much of a power source to be lost. Hale was the last stronghold against that. Stiles kept his eyes on Derek’s arm like he was studying it instead of looking at Derek’s face and thinking about what a loss like Derek would feel like.

“Do I need to send a team in?” She asked.

Stiles considered it. A team would lay waste to the Argent family and not that Chris and Kate didn’t deserve it, but Allison certainly didn’t. There could be other casualties for sure and they would take Scott from here without blinking an eye. In their search for the rogue alpha-

Well, nothing was off the table.

“Agent.” The Director snapped.

“If Hale dies, yes. But let me try to save him, ma’am.” Stiles cleared his throat and reached for the bone saw. “Please.” He weighed it in his hand.

Stiles heard her sigh. She had a soft spot for him, just like any other child raised in her House. He could ask for things that his own father couldn’t get.

“Don’t let this turn into another incident like Heather from Florida, Mischief.” She ordered.

“It won’t.” Stiles swore and looked down at Derek.

“You’re lying to me,” She accused. “But I know you will do you best. Save Hale. If you don’t, I’ll have to send in a team.”

Scott threw open the door just then and showed Stiles the bullet.

“We both know what that means, Mischief. For you, for Hale, and for young McCall there.” She said. Stiles looked around and saw a camera in the corner of the room and waved. “Yes, I can see you.” Scott waved too. “Hello, Mr. McCall. Help Stiles.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Scott said.

“Get to work.” She ordered and hung up.

“Who was that?” Scott asked when Stiles took the bullet from him.

“Boss. I’m going to need you to hold him.” Stiles said. He used a scalpel he found to pry the bullet open and dumped the contents out. He looked up at Scott and watched him gag when the smell hit him and bury his face in his arm.

“What is that?” He asked.

“Wolfsbane. It’s what did that to him.” Stiles said and lit it on fire. He scooped the contents into his palm and looked up at Derek who had his eyes barely open. “Sorry big guy.” He said.

“Just do it.” Derek said.

“Hold him.” Stiles said to Scott.

Scott nodded and braced Derek’s arm.

Stiles smeared the burnt wolfsbane over the bullet hole in Derek’s arm and the reaction was immediate. Derek screamed, his back arched and he slammed his head into the table. Scott struggled to hold him while Stiles took hold of his head so he didn’t break it or the table beneath him.

“What’s happening?” Scott asked.

“It’s burning out of his system.” Stiles said. “It won’t be long.”

Scott nodded and did his best to hold Derek. A moment later, Derek stilled, and they watched the lines disappear from his arm. His color began to return and he opened his eyes.

“How do you feel?” Scott asked.

Derek nodded.

“Water?” Scott asked.

“Please.” Derek’s voice was scratchy.

Scott left.

Stiles hopped up on the table and gave the camera in the corner two thumbs up. His phone buzzed.

_Good job. Find the rogue alpha._

“I’m trying.” Stiles said to the camera. “But I also have a dozen other things to do. Like homework.”

His phone buzzed again.

_Quit stalling. Kill the rogue. There are a dozen other assignments on deck. Send your homework in. It could be good practice for the little ones. How’s Hale?_

Stiles turned and looked at Derek. He put a hand to Derek’s wrist, found his pulse.

“Hey, buddy, let me see your eyes.” Stiles said.

Derek opened his eyes.

“Your real ones.” Stiles said.

Derek flashed his eyes blue at Stiles.

“Teeth.”

Derek dropped his teeth and Stiles pulled his lips up to get a look at his gum line.

“He’s fine. Good improvement. Fast, too.” Stiles said.

“Who are you talking to?” Derek asked.

“Boss. She’s up in the corner, watching down on us.” Stiles said and pointed to the small camera.

_Nemeton is speeding up healing. All that power doesn’t have anywhere to go but Hale and McCall. How are you?_

“Juiced up and ready to go.” Stiles hesitated. “The team isn’t coming in, are they?”

Scott came in just then, with three bottles of water. He handed two to Derek and one to Stiles.

_No. But they are on deck as well. Argents are too much of a risk. Put her down and remind C of his promise. How’s the progress with LH’s murder investigation going?_

“Gee boss. I didn’t know this was turning into a full report.” Stiles said sarcastically.

_Watch the tone._

Then-

_Get those two home. I want a full report. C has tracked McCall. Go now._

“Ok, boys. Time to go.” Stiles said and jumped down from the table. “All questions will be answered when we get to house.”  Stiles said when Scott opened his mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

Stiles took the corners too fast and all but shoved Scott and Derek into the house. He carved a quick rune of added protection into the door just as a familiar red SUV pulled up to his house. There was an answering pulse from the other runes in the house and Stiles felt an energy gather at his fingertips and then spread below, to his feet and to the foundation of the house. Whoever had protected this house before they arrived had done a stunningly good job. A low warning growl came from Derek. 

“How many?” Stiles asked. 

“Four.” Derek replied. 

“Is she with them?” 

Derek took a deep breath. “No.” 

Stiles nodded. “I can handle this if you want to go upstairs.” A thought flashed through Stiles’ mind. “Actually, you should go upstairs. Let me deal with this.” 

Derek looked hesitant. He was still in the shadows, so it was doubtful that Argent had even seen him yet. 

“Derek. It will give us the element of surprise. I’m not hiding anything from you here. I promise.” 

“I’ll hide down here.” Derek said. 

It was a compromise, one that Stiles was willing to make. 

“What do I do?” Scott whispered. 

“Stay here.” Stiles said. He needed Scott to see what Argent was capable of. When he looked back, Derek was gone. 

Chris got out of the SUV and came to stand at the foot of the porch stairs. 

Stiles leaned against the frame of the door. “Fancy meeting you here.” He said casually. 

“Where’s Hale?” 

Stiles frowned and shook his head. “Name doesn’t ring a bell.” 

Chris sneered. “I have it on good word that you were seen helping him into your Jeep after school today.” He took a step up the porch and Stiles stared down at him. “What would your father have to say about his kind helping a twenty six year old fugitive into his Jeep and disappearing?” 

“I didn’t disappear.” Stiles smiled slowly. “I took the weird half-dead guy to the hospital. As the son of the Sheriff, it is my obligation to help those in need, just like my dad does. Oh,” Stiles said and snapped his fingers. He turned to Scott. “Weird half dead guy was the guy from the woods the other day. Got it.”  

“That’s why he looked familiar.” Scott said and nodded sagely. 

Stiles wanted to give him a hug. Instead he turned back to Argent.

“He had a bullet wound. Had to be reported to the police. I’m sure they would have taken a statement from the guy. Why don’t you start there?” Stiles suggested.

“So your father knows?” Chris took another step up the porch. The other three guys behind him stepped close. 

“I don’t lie to my dad. Of course he knows. He is going to take my statement too.” Stiles paused. “He also knows about the old guy who is stalking me at school. Same guy who approached me in a dark parking lot.” 

“What?” Scott whispered. 

“I’ll fill you in on how your girlfriend’s dad has a scary weird obsession with underage guys later, bro.” Stiles said out of the side of his mouth. “And how he isn’t the only one in his family that gets all hot and bothered when it comes to teenagers.” 

Chris’ face flushed with anger. “Give me Hale.” 

“Hale who? I still don’t know who you are talking about.” Stiles looked around. “It’s just us chickens here.” 

“Then I’ll come in and look myself.” Argent said and stormed up the steps. 

Stiles took a few steps back, pulled Scott with him. But there was no fear in the action. Rather, it seemed like a challenge. 

_ Come in, if you’d like to try.  _

At the doorway, Argent stopped, like he was unable to go any further. “What is this?” He asked. 

“When is a door not a door?” Stiles asked. His voice shook with a little bit of rage and Scott wanted to pull away. Suddenly, Stiles didn’t seem like Stiles anymore. Suddenly, it seemed like there was someone else in the room with them and whoever they were was beyond what little knowledge Scott had of their world.  

“What are you?” Argent asked, a little thrown by Stiles’ off the wall answer. 

“A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Have you figured it out yet, Mr. Argent?” Stiles voice was mocking and he was singing just a little bit.  

Chris sneered. “Let me go.” 

“You are going to want to back off, Argent.” Stiles said with a sigh. The weird  _ other _ presence left and it was just Stiles staring back at Argent. He felt tired all of a sudden. He felt decades older, felt all his training weigh down on him. He was sad and tired and felt a little sick. Stiles was disgusted by the world at large, at how people kept killing each other over and over for the same reasons and nothing ever changed. He could fix Beacon Hills, make sure that Scott was informed about what was going, kiss Derek goodbye, and go on to the next mission. But nothing changed. Not really. The bad guys kept coming and he would win sometimes and lose other times but there were always more assignments on deck. 

He would just go on to the next mission, the next creature. He would keep on working with his dad and maybe he would save some people and maybe he wouldn’t. He would just keep moving on and on and on, without a real place to stop and rest.

“And what are you going to do if I don’t?” Argent asked. 

“Kill you.” Stiles said. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want to make this easy on all of us. Leave Hale alone. Your best bet would be to get out of town altogether.” 

“Kill me? I’d like to see you try.” 

Stiles squeezed his eyes closed and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see Scott there, worry clear on his face. Stiles patted his hand back. Whatever else happened, at least he had met one good person out of all this mess. 

“Do or do not. There is no try.” Stiles said. “Words I live by.” 

Chris looked confused. 

“Oh my god, has no one seen Star Wars in this town?” Stiles asked. He took a step forward and there was a gunshot. Scott gasped. Stiles didn’t turn around. “Listen up. I’m tired of these games. Get out of town. Take your psychotic sister with you. Or I will burn it all down around you.” The house shook around them and even Chris looked surprised. “I will make Allison an orphan. Do we understand each other.” 

“Don’t you say her name.” Argent spat. Stiles didn’t like using the children of his enemies as bait, but there were times when evil was necessary. 

“Leave Hale out of this. Leave Scott alone.” Stiles took a deep breath. “Call off Kate. I don’t make deals often. Ever. Do yourself this one favor.” He pulled out a knife and cut through the rune that was holding Chris in place.

Chris took a step back. “I’ll see you around.” He said and smiled.  _ Smiled _ . 

They left. 

“Are you ok?” Stiles asked Scott. He put his hands on Scott’s shoulders and patted him down, looking for where the bullet had torn through him, hoping to god it wasn’t more wolfsbane. 

“They  _ shot _ you.” Scott said and dragged Stiles into the kitchen. 

Stiles looked down and saw that his sleeve was torn. There was a gash in his arm. “Oh shit.” He said and poked at it. The blood went from a trickle to a small river. “Look at that.” 

“Stop!” Scott said and slapped his hands away. “I’ve got to take you to my mom. Oh my god.  _ They shot you _ .” Scott’s eyes turned gold and there was a low growl. 

Suddenly, Scott didn’t resemble a puppy anymore so much as Cujo. 

“Hey, hey, buddy. I’m ok. This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot. I barely felt it.” Stiles said. 

“Don’t patronize me!” Scott yelled. “They shot you!”

“Scott.” Derek snapped from the doorway. 

In a fight, Stiles was sure that Derek could make Scott submit, but that wasn’t the important thing here. 

“This is a teachable moment, Derek.” Stiles said and raised a finger at him.

Derek snapped at Stiles. 

Stiles held up both his hands and took a step back.

Scott growled at Derek and Derek growled right back. “Learn from this.” Derek said. 

“Learn what? That Allison’s dad is a psycho killer? That my new friend isn’t all that he’s told me even after I learn he’s a freaking  _ spy _ ? When will anyone tell me the truth?” Scott demanded. 

That hurt. 

“Everyone lies. Sometimes we have to. Ok?” Derek said. “You have to calm down. Find something in you. A strong connection to someone else, someone human, someone you can rely on and anchor yourself to them. To who they are.” Derek’s features shifted back. “Otherwise the wolf will take over and you really will become a monster.”    

There was a long tense moment and then Scott was gasping and his features were human. 

“How’s the pain?” Derek asked after watching Scott for a moment. 

“Fine.” Stiles said and pulled some paper towels off the roll. He pressed it to the wound and blinked when it stung. 

“Scott.” Derek said. “Come here.” 

Scott approached warily. 

“Really, it’s fine.” Stiles said. 

“You said teachable moment. This is one of the first things my dad taught me.” Derek said. 

“What is it?” Scott asked. 

“Stiles is in pain. Can you smell it? It’s there, just under the blood.” 

Scott nodded. “It’s thick… like flour.” 

“Exactly.” Derek said. He took Scott’s hand and put it just under the wound. “Can you feel it?” 

“Like-” Scott took a moment. “Like rope burn.” 

“It’s different for everyone. Can you take it?” Derek asked. He watched Scott closely. 

Scott looked down at his hold on Stiles and then Stiles felt it. It was warm and soft. It felt like falling asleep with his head in his mother’s lap-

“Ok, great lesson, I’m good.” Stiles said, pulling from Scott’s hand. He smiled at both of them. 

“You have to go to the hospital.” Scott insisted. 

“I’m fine.” Stiles said. 

“We can make you.” Scott threatened. 

“We can  _ try _ .” Derek corrected and eyed Stiles. He could identify something in Stiles that Scott couldn’t, not yet anyway. 

“I can call your dad.” Scott said and held up his phone. 

“That’s dirty fighting.” Stiles said.

Scott began to scroll for the Sheriff’s phone number. 

“Ok!” Stiles shouted. “Let’s go.” 

***

“Take off your shirt.” Melissa said, as she inspected the wound. 

“We can just rip it.” Stiles aid. “It’s already ruined.” He waved his hand. 

“Are you sure?” Melissa said. “It would be easier to just take it off.” 

“It’s fine.” Stiles nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” 

Melissa frowned at him and sighed. “Ok.” She took a pair of scissors and cut the remains of his shirt off. “How did you do this again? Geez, kid.” 

“I was looking for some spark plugs in the garage, tripped over a bat and there was a rebar on a shelf.” Stiles shrugged. 

Melissa frowned at it and looked at Stiles again. “Rebar.” She said. 

He nodded. 

She looked at Scott, who was leaning against a counter. He nodded. “He’s a giant klutz.” 

“Well, you are going to need a tetanus shot. I’ll be right back.” Melissa glared at Scott and studied Stiles’ wound again. 

“I told you not to bring me here.” Stiles sighed. 

“You don’t like shots?” Scott asked. 

“She knows. Nurses always know.” 

“That you got shot?” 

“It doesn’t look like a scrape.” Stiles frowned. “Does she see a lot of bullet wounds?” 

“She’s seen a few- she’s calling your dad.” Scott said, as he tipped his head to the side and listened to his mother undoubtedly calling Stiles’ father. 

“Well.” Stiles said and laid down. “This was pointless.” 

“You could have gotten sick.” Derek pointed out. Stiles poked his bicep. Derek smacked his hands away.

Melissa had given him a “little something” for the pain earlier. 

“I got a tetanus booster six months ago. I stopped bleeding awhile ago.” Stiles poked him again. Derek smacked his hand. 

“Stop it.” Derek snarled. Stiles had it on good authority that shifters did not know what painkillers felt like. 

“How are you feeling?” Stiles asked. 

“I’m fine.” 

The door opened and Melissa came in. The look on her face was identical as Scott’s as she took in Stiles looking up at Derek from his spot on the table and Derek regarding Stiles with something like annoyed fondness. 

“Let’s start with the shot.” Melissa said. Derek pushed Stiles into a sitting position. “You afraid of needles?” She asked politely. 

“No.” Stiles said softly and thought of all the times he stitched himself back together. He sat up and watched the the needle go into his skin and Melissa’s capable fingers push the plunger down steadily. 

The wave of dizziness that hit him was therefore terrifying and unexpected. He had never felt anything like it before and he wanted to know what Melissa saw in his face that made her grasp his upper arm. 

“Really? No problem with needles?” She muttered. He leaned forward until his forehead rested on her shoulder. “When was the last time you ate, kiddo?” She asked. 

“Lunch.” Scott said.

“It’s eight.” Melissa said. 

The dizziness kept hitting him in waves. He had never felt like this before. He wondered if he was going to puke on Melissa. 

“What is it?” Melissa asked him. 

“I’m just dizzy. It’ll pass- it’s ok. I’m ok.” Stiles said and forced himself to sit up. Melissa cupped his cheek. 

“Let’s get you something to eat, yeah?” 

Stiles swallowed and nodded. He hated himself for wanting his own mother so badly just then. She moved away and gestured to the door. Scott followed her back out. 

“Hey.” Derek said. 

“It’s nothing. Hypoglycemia. It’s genetic.” Stiles waved him off. “I didn’t eat much at lunch and that whole thing took a lot of-” Stiles glared at the opposite wall. “A lot of energy.”

“Are you sure?” Derek asked. 

“Can we just leave it at that?” Stiles snapped. Derek didn’t physically pull away but Stiles could feel a wall falling down between them. “Please.” Stiles whispered. 

After a silence that felt longer than it probably was, Derek sighed. Everyone seemed to be doing that a lot tonight. “Ok.” He finally muttered. He pulled a chair close and sat down. He offered a hand.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Stiles said. 

“I know.” Derek said. 

Stiles put his hand in Derek’s. 

That’s how his dad found him. “Son.” He muttered. Derek tried to pull away but Stiles held fast. His dad didn’t even blink. “What happened?” He asked. 

“Argent.” Stiles muttered. “There was too much to cover and I got-” 

“Distracted?” John said and looked to Derek before looking back to Stiles.  

“Angry.” Stiles said. 

“Why are you here? You could have taken care of this yourself.” John said. 

“That’s what I tried to tell them but they were-” 

“Scared?” John guessed. 

“Worried.” Derek said softly.

John finally looked at him and Stiles did too. He had to wonder if Derek offered his hand for comfort or if he was seeking it. His shoulders were hunched and he was looking down. John hunkered down in front of him. 

“Son.” John said. 

Derek didn’t reply. 

“This is what we do for a living. It’s part of the job. You have to trust him to take care of what he can.” He was using his dad voice, the voice that he used when he was trying to help Stiles understand some particularly difficult concept, how it was never just black and white. 

“How do I know what he can handle? How do I know when to get him help?” Derek asked. 

John looked up at Stiles. “You gotta listen. You gotta trust him, Derek.” 

Derek ducked his head. “Yes, sir.” 

“Good man.” John said and squeezed his shoulder. He stood and looked at Stiles. “Did you use a lot?” 

Stiles thought for a moment and pulled his hand from Derek’s. He held both his hands out to his father and they shook. “Yeah. I’d say so.” 

“I’m going to put you on the bench.” John said after a moment. Stiles opened his mouth but John held his hand out. “If they haul you in, I’m not going to have anyone to cover my back. Let’s not have a replay of Vermont, ok?” 

Stiles ground his teeth together and looked down. He couldn’t deny the fact that his dad had a point and no one wanted the nightmare that was Vermont replayed here in California. “For how long?” 

“Just until you are steady. How long will that take?” John asked. It was a measure of respect. He could have just told Stiles how long he would be out for. 

“Two night's sleep.” Stiles said. 

John said. “Then the shooting range.” 

Stiles nodded. 

“Melissa’s coming.” Derek said. 

Scott was with her and forced a cup of soup on Stiles. Stiles drank it down and then the soda that Scott gave him. Melissa stitched him closed quickly and then deemed him ready to go. Stiles thanked her and they left. She hugged him before they left and told him to come to dinner the next night. 


	9. Chapter 9

“Go to your own room.” Stiles said. 

“Are you ok?” Derek asked. “Can I get you anything?” 

Stiles wanted to huff at him, glare at him, kick him out of his room, tuck him into bed, and read him a bedtime story. This thing that was uncurling in his chest was making him feel everything, but mostly it was making him feel out of sorts. Uneven. Unbalanced. Magic that he normally kept hidden from everyone but his dad and the Director was too close to the edge and it felt like it was going to swallow him whole and he might want to take Derek down with him. 

Derek didn’t deserve something like that, that dark and twisted thing that lived inside Stiles’ chest and ate at him.  

“I promise you, Derek. I am fine.” Stiles winced when the stitches tugged as he tried to take off his shirt. 

Derek was across the room in a second, his hand on Stiles’ arm. “Let me help you.” 

Stiles surrendered. 

Derek pulled one arm through the arm hole and then pulled it gently over his head. He took it off his other arm slowly and Stiles shivered when Derek’s fingers skipped over his bare skin. 

“Is this why you wouldn’t let Melissa take off your shirt?” Derek asked. His fingers skated over a bullet scar and then a knife scar and then a sigil over his heart. 

Stiles caught his hand when he touched another tattoo, a serpent that twisted its way down his hips. “It’s hard to explain all this on the body of a sixteen year old.” 

Derek kept his eyes on Stiles’ torso, all the scars, all the tattoos. He pulled away slowly, like Stiles was a dangerous animal, ready to snap at any given second. But he nodded. “It is hard to explain.” He murmured. He took a step back and then another. “Can you tell me?” 

Stiles watched him, the hard angles, the leather jacket, the steely eyes, the broad shoulders. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” 

“What are you?” 

_ I am an agent who works for a shadowy government agency. I have killed and I will kill again. There is something inside of me, something that I can control, but only some of the time. I am ugly and scarred and angry and I hurt people that I care for. I don’t entirely know what I can and can’t do. I can feel it inside of me and it  _ scares me.  _ No one can tell me the extent that it reaches, if it’s in my head or it’s in my soul. But it scratches. It scratches late at night and sometimes I want to just give in.  _

“I don’t know.” Stiles whispered. 

Derek nodded and turned away. 

“I’m-” Stiles started. Derek stopped. “I’m part of a pilot program. It hasn’t been tested. I’m their first test subject. As far as I know, I’m the only one.” 

“What is it?” Derek asked. 

Stiles shook his head. “Classified.” 

Derek’s shoulders fell. “I’m going to sleep.” 

“If you- if you leave, could you tell me?” Stiles asked and his voice ended on a whisper. “Just let me know? I understand and if you want, I’ll find you later to tell you who killed Laura and how I killed them, but could you just let me know if you are leaving?” 

“I’m not going to leave.” Derek said. Stiles wanted to ignore how flat his voice was but he couldn’t. 

And then he was gone and Stiles tried to sleep. 

***

In the morning, he was the only one in the house. Derek was gone, his bed neatly made up. There was a note on the fridge reminding Stiles that that night was parent teacher conference. His lunch was on the counter, but with no note this time. Stiles took it anyway. 

The only thing remarkable about the day was that Scott was not in school. The first couple of periods, Stiles passed it off as Scott possibly sleeping in. 

But by the time lunch hit, Stiles was concerned. 

Allison was gone too. 

“What’s up?” Derek answered his phone. 

“Where are you?” Stiles asked. 

“My house-” Derek started. He was cut off by something crashing in the background and then the phone went dead. 

The next thing that Stiles fully realized he was doing was driving. There was a calm and a precision to his movements that meant he was dangerously close to losing control and he couldn’t have that. Not now. Right now he needed to remain fully in control of his senses so that he could get to Derek and help him. 

The next thing that Stiles realized was that he was pulling over and throwing open the back door of the Jeep. He took off his overshirt and pulled on a bulletproof vest. He slid his holster on and pulled open a secret compartment that held two pistols; a .45 AMT Hardballer and a Beretta Series 81 and shoved them in his holsters. He ran the rest of the way to Derek’s and tried not to feel the scratching at the back of his head. As he got closer, he pulled some glasses on, fit the combined ear piece over his ear and approached cautiously. 

“Wow, this one grew up in all the right places.” Kate said. She was coming in clearly over his ear com. Stiles had to fight to not jerk it out when he heard her voice. He had heard her voice before on recordings and it filled him a dark, aching blackness that needed to be filled. “I don’t know whether to lick it or kill it.” Stiles did take the earpiece out then, made himself stop and count, shushed the scratching that was turning desperate, before putting the glasses back on.  

There was a low whine in the background and Kate shushing Derek, Stiles presumed. If he was still alive. If not, he was just going to go kill the entirety of the Argent family, excluding Allison. 

Stiles came in through the backdoor and made his way towards the front. He had to fight to keep himself from running forward when he heard the crackle of electricity and a higher pitched whine from Derek. 

“Nine hundred thousand volts. You never were good with electricity, were you? Or fire. Which is why I am going to let you in on a little secret. And, well, maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant, and frankly, a little too Texas Chainsaw Massacre for my taste, but quite true. Now, here's the part that might really kick you in your new balls - We didn't kill her. You think I'm lying?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Derek grunted.

“Oh, sweetie. Well,” Kate paused, “Why don't you just listen to my heart and tell me if I am. Okay? We. Didn't. Kill. Your. Sister. Do you hear that? There's no blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth. Found bite marks on your sister's body, Derek. What do you think did that? A mountain lion?” She paused and sighed. “Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what you've been guessing all along, which is the Alpha killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is, and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everybody goes home happy. Unless... You don't know who he is either. Wow. Guess who just became totally useless?”

Stiles had heard enough. He pulled his gun out and stepped around the corner. “Kate Argent, drop your weapons and put your hands on your head.” He ordered. 

Derek blinked up at him, like he didn’t know what he was seeing. 

Stiles had seen the videos. It was quite a bit different from his I’m-sixteen-years-old-and-a-helpless-giant-dork act that he put on in the high school. No, this was a twenty three year old guy that had seen and done and happily participated in some gruesome things. A guy who could happily make his career from killing people and creatures. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Kate snapped. 

“I’m not going to say it again, drop your weapons and put your hands on your head.” Stiles said evenly. 

Kate snapped out a baton and aimed it squarely at Derek’s chest. “How much do you think he can take, huh? I’ve already hit him with this three times-” 

Stiles fired. Once at the baton, rendering it useless and then at her hand. She was quick though. She brought up a semi automatic weapon and aimed it at Derek. 

Stiles darted in, threw his shoulder into her sternum and threw her over some broken furniture. She landed on top, straddling him. 

“Just like old times, huh? Molesting and raping underage kids?” Stiles asked and laughed when her face flushed an ugly red. She tried to use the butt of her gun on his face. She fumbled it and Stiles couldn’t help the rush of glee when he saw her hand bloody and near useless.  

“You’re not pretty enough for me.” She said and Stiles tore the gun from her. 

“Now you are just lying.” Stiles snapped and took a hit to his side. He grunted but returned it, as hard as he could, with the tactical gloves that had a steel bar over the knuckles. She gasped and then Stiles threw her off. 

Then he heard the cars. Four of them and he turned his head to the side. He met Derek’s eyes at the same time and he stood. There was a flash of pain in his hand and Stiles held it up to see a piece of jagged wood sticking out of his forearm. “Why does my hand hurt?” He muttered. “The wood is in my forearm.” Kate tried to get up but Stiles landed a well placed kick to her chin and she stopped moving. 

“Let’s go big guy.” Stiles said and offered Derek a hand up. Derek stood and he took most of Stiles’ weight. “So.” Stiles started. “This is going to get sticky.” 

Derek gave him a look. “Which way?” 

“Out the back and then northeast. We are going to have to do a switchback to get to my Jeep-” Stiles started and then yelped when Derek picked him up. 

“No time.” He muttered and then Stiles saw the trees rushing past him and they were standing next to the Jeep. Derek pawed through Stiles pockets while Stiles jerked the piece of wood out of his arm and used a towel in the backseat to staunch the flow of blood. 

“Here, tie this. Tighter.” Stiles directed. Derek did as he asked and then they got into the Jeep. 

“They’re coming.” Stiles muttered. 

Derek didn’t reply but he handled the Jeep like he had been driving it for years. 

Stiles got his gun out, rolled down the window and leaned out. When a black SUV swung into view, Stiles took careful aim and fired off three quick shots into the vehicle. Something caught fire and the SUV pulled off wildly, blocking the road for the other three. 

“Hospital?” Derek asked. 

“No. Home. I can take care of this.” Stiles said. Derek pressed his lips together like he didn’t like Stiles’ choice but he must have remembered what John said. He drove them home.  

In the kitchen, Stiles grabbed a bottle of vodka and went upstairs. 

“Underneath the sink, there’s a silver box. Grab it.” Stiles said. He sat at his desk and Derek came back with the box. 

His monitor switched on. 

“Agent.” The Director said coolly. She was at her home, in a familiar setting. Behind her were pictures of Stiles with other agents, in various places. If you ignored the burnt out buildings, the weapons, they could be a bunch of kids on vacation. If you didn’t know better, the Director could be a very proud grandmother. 

“Ma’am.” He said tightly and took a drink from the vodka and winced at the burning. 

“This seems to be the second Argent to shoot you in as many days.” She said, taking in his condition. 

Stiles took another drink. “I’m starting to think it’s personal. She didn’t shoot me. She tackled me, I fell, there was wood and now I hate my job.” 

“You don’t mean that.” The Director chided. 

“Give me a second and I will.” Stiles said. He took another drink, handed Derek the bottle and popped the lid on the box. 

“Ma’am, he shouldn’t go to a hospital?” Derek asked. 

Stiles looked over at him and realized he was still shirtless. “Dude, go put a shirt on. My boss is right here.” 

When Derek got back, Stiles was mixing things in a small bowl. 

“Agent Mischief is fine. He’s handled worst. Remember Istanbul?” The Director shook her head. “One of three times in my career as Director when I had to go out into the field and it was because of this young man here.” 

Stiles winced at the memory. “I dug three bullets out of myself and used superglue and duct tape to hold the wounds shut so that I didn’t bleed out. I was pinned for two days.” 

“How old were you?” Derek asked. 

“Fifteen.” Stiles said. He pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, took a deep breath and poured it over the wound. “Motherfucking, shit, that fucking child raping  _ bitch _ -” And then the searing pain was gone. 

Derek had his hand in Stiles and he was taking the pain like it was nothing. 

“Thank you.” Stiles said and then picked up the bowl. He considered it. “This has both wolfsbane and mistletoe in it. You are going to have to let go.” 

Derek looked hesitant but let go. 

The pain returned but Stiles forged on, packed the wound with his mixture and then wrapped the whole thing with a bandage. 

“You’ve seen her?” The Director asked as he wrapped the bandage around his arm. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Stiles said. 

“Did you kill her?” 

“She had backup.” 

The Director sighed and looked away. “She needs to be dealt with immediately. I will not have anymore SEs falling victim to her. If Chris can be dealt with in less violent ways, I would prefer that. Allison should grow up and learn about her family history and I would prefer to have an Argent on our side.” The Director pressed her lips together in a thin line. “For once.” 

“Gotcha.” Stiles said and nodded. 

“The Sheriff benched you, from what I hear.” She went on. 

“He did indeed.” Stiles said. The vodka seemed to hit him all at once. He blinked.

“What are you going to tell him?” She said and glanced down at his arm. 

“The truth. He might yell at me but-” Stiles reached for the vodka again but Derek pulled it out of his reach. “Come on, dude. One more shot and you can take it from me. Promise.” He said. Derek sighed and handed it over. Stiles took a much larger drink than before and wiped his mouth. “But I had my orders.” He went on to the Director. “And putting more humans in the line of fire, especially Kate’s, is not his style.” Stiles pouted. “He’s going to bench me for another day, isn’t he, Boss?” 

“I imagine so.” She said. “That’s all for now, Agent. Rest up. Let Derek take care of you.” 

Stiles whined. 

“Don’t make me order you.” She said and cut the line before he could protest.

Derek got Stiles into bed and was about to leave the room when Stiles asked if he could have his laptop. 

“You’re supposed to rest.” Derek said. 

“I just want to watch a movie, dude. I’m used to big cities and all the quiet out here is unnerving.” Stiles said. 

Derek handed him the laptop and left.    

When Stiles woke next, Derek was sitting in his desk chair, glasses propped on his nose, socked feet kicked up on the bed next to Stiles. 

“Oh, no.” Stiles groaned. 

Derek looked up. “Hungover?”

“No. Glasses. Not allowed, Hale. Not ok.” Stiles closed his eyes and looked up. “What do you need glasses for anyway? Don’t you have perfect vision?” 

“Yeah. But it’s less strain. And when humans see me wearing glasses, it humanizes me.” Derek explained. “Hungry?” 

Stiles opened his eyes and looked at him. “Really? That’s what you’re asking me?” 

Derek rolled his eyes. 

“Have you heard from Scott?” Stiles asked. 

“No. How’s your arm?” 

“Fine. Scott?” 

Derek shrugged and made for the door. “He’s a big boy. He can make his own choice. And if that means that he is going to choose the Argents, that’s something I’m going to have to live with.” He left the room. 

“What does that mean?” Stiles shouted after him. “Where’s my dad?” 

Derek returned a few minutes later, a bottle of water in one hand and homemade macaroni and cheese in the other. “It means that we all have to live with the choices we make. And your dad is at parent teacher conference.” 

Stiles nodded and dug in. 

“Does that make you sleepy?” Derek asked and gestured to the bandage on Stiles’ arm. 

“Little bit. Why?” Stiles said. 

“I can smell it.”

Stiles nodded. He closed his eyes. “Do you mind-” He asked and yawned. 

Derek was already leaning back in his chair and opening his book again. The glasses were gone. Stiles closed his eyes. 

***

“Stiles,  _ Stiles _ .” 

He was up and reaching for the gun in his headboard before reality filtered in all the way. When he blinked and looked around, Derek was holding a hoodie out. 

“What?” Stiles asked. 

“We gotta go, now.” Derek said and Stiles took the hoodie from him. 

“What happened?” Stiles said and took the hoodie from him. He shoved his feet into his shoes and at the last second, strapped a back up gun to his ankle and then he and Derek were in Derek’s Camaro. 

“There was an attack at the school.” Derek said. 

“My dad-” 

“Got hit by a car, pushing someone out of the way. His shoulder took the worst of it. He’s fine and didn’t even want us there, but I knew if you found out-” Derek waved his hand in Stiles’ general direction. 

Stiles nodded. “I would have.” He agreed. “He’s fine?” 

“Yes. Melissa said he might need some painkillers, he’ll have some bruising, but he’s fine.” Derek said. 

“Where was Scott?” Stiles asked and clenched his hands over his knees. 

Derek blew out a sigh. “It was Allison’s birthday. They ditched.” 

Stiles nodded. “And his phone?” 

Derek shrugged. 

Stiles nodded. He looked out the window. 

“Ok?” Derek asked. 

“Ask me after I see my dad.” Stiles said. 

Derek didn’t reply. 

They got to the hospital and Stiles headed for the front desk but Derek took him by the elbow and directed him to a set of doors just as an older couple left. They slipped in and Derek dropped Stiles’ arm and made his way through the hallways until he was outside a room. 

“There he is.” Derek said and gestured to the door. 

Stiles made for it and then stopped. “Aren’t you coming?” He asked. 

“In a minute.” Derek said.

Stiles eyed him and then went in. 

John’s arm was in a sling and he looked positively murderous. Stiles tried to back out but Derek was there, shoving him back in, and closing the door. Stiles wouldn’t put it past him to be holding it closed. 

“Where were you?” His dad asked. “Where was Derek?” 

“In my defense, I wrestled with Kate, got a wooden stake through my arm, and had to go home and take care of it myself. I might or might not have taken a couple of shots while doing it. Derek was with me, on Director’s orders.” 

“Did you kill her?” His dad asked and he looked so damn hopeful that Stiles was sad to shake his head. 

“No. I did at least knock a few teeth loose though. Back up arrived.” 

His dad frowned and gestured for him to come closer. “Let me see.” He said. Stiles pushed his sleeve up and showed it to him. “How’s it feel?” 

“Ok. Should be all healed up by tomorrow.” Stiles said. He pursed his lips. “What happened?” 

John rolled his eyes. “A stampede. I thought that it was the alpha and hell, maybe it was. People were shouting, shoving, you know how it is.” 

Stiles nodded. A lot of injuries came from people panicking like that with no clear way out.

“I heard it. But when I stepped out, a fucking car backed into me. Hit me, knocked my gun from my hand, did this,” John gestured to his shoulder, “And when I looked up, there was a goddamn mountain lion staring at me.” 

“Really?” Stiles said. 

“An actual mountain lion. Anyway, I went for my back up but Argent got there first, shot it, and Melissa brought me here.” 

Stiles furrowed his brow. “Coincidence?” He asked. 

“Maybe.” John looked at his jacket. “But there is an alpha. Director sent me some pictures. They are at my office.” He nodded at a small closet. “Keys are in my jacket.”

Stiles grabbed the keys from his jacket. 

“Where’s Scott?” His dad asked. 

“I think he ditched. Today’s Allison’s birthday.” Stiles replied. “Anything else?”  

John shook his head. “Go on. I’ll be fine. Melissa scares me more than most the creatures we meet and she’s on shift till the morning.” 

Stiles hesitated but nodded. “You’ll call me if you need anything?”

“Yes, son. Now go. Get those pictures. Tell me what you think.” John leaned back in his bed. 

Stiles went to him and pressed a kiss to his father’s forehead. “You’re old. Can’t keep doing this shit to me.” 

“I’m still your father and CO. I  _ will _ kick your ass.” John said but hugged Stiles close with his good arm.

Stiles stepped out of the room and into the middle of a whispered argument between Derek and Scott. 

They both fell silent when they looked at him. He jerked his head and they followed him out of the hospital and into the parking lot. 

“Stiles-” Scott started. 

He held up a finger and looked up to the sky. He counted to ten, let out a long breath, cracked his neck, and looked Scott in the eye. “My dad is my partner. He has my back in all the things we do and one day he is going to die while we are out on a mission. And that might be my fault.” He said slowly. 

Derek opened his mouth but Stiles glared at him. 

“It’s going to happen to him and it’s going to happen to me. People in our line of work do not live forever and they don’t get a happy ending. We know this. I’ve understood that since I listened to my mom die by the hands of an alpha. I am harder to kill than my dad. Maybe I’ll last longer than him, who knows?” Stiles shrugged and he felt a little of his self control spin away. “But while I am here and while I am on this job, he is my responsibility. We are all we have left in this stupid, ugly, sick little world and for some reason, we are supposed to help you, McCall.” Stiles gritted his teeth and looked down. “But if he gets hurt or if something happens to him and he dies?” Stiles shook his head. “I will burn everyone in my path.” 

“How was I supposed to know anything like this would happen?” Scott asked and Stiles felt a rise of anger when he saw that Scott was just as angry as he was. No doubt Derek had ripped him a new one as well. 

“Do you know what’s happened to me in the last  _ two fucking days alone _ ?” Stiles hissed. Derek put a hand on his arm and raised his eyebrows. Stiles glared at him too and Derek held up his hands in surrender and took a step back. “Let me recount for you, Scott. First thing, Derek got  _ shot _ by Kate fucking  _ Argent _ . Allison’s fucking  _ aunt _ . And then! And then  _ I _ got shot by Allison’s fucking father when he tracked  _ you _ to the fucking animal clinic where I almost had to cut off his arm!” Stiles pointed at Derek. 

“You didn’t tell me that.” Derek said, way too calm for hearing the first time that Stiles had a bone saw in his hands and was considering amputation. He looked thoughtful, like he was wondering what life would have been like if Stiles had gone through with it. 

“You were unconscious and  _ dying _ .” Stiles snapped before he swung around. “Then, I got benched because I had to go to the hospital for something that barely even mattered and then! You ready for this, because this is my favorite part. You ditched. You didn’t tell anyone where you were going. You turned off your phone! You just- you just fucking left!” 

“Stiles.” Derek murmured. 

“Shut up because you fucking left too, you asshole!” Stiles shouted. He swung back around to Scott. “Then when I call him,” Stiles pointed to Derek, “Looking for you,” Stiles pointed to Scott, “I hear someone fucking attacking him. Hey, guess who it was? Yep, got it one Scott!” Stiles’ voice broke and he realized he was shaking and when he glanced down, he saw that the sleeve of his hoodie was spotted with blood. “Kate hey-I’m-a-pedophile-and-call-werewolves-It Argent! Yeah, she was using an electrified baton on him. Nine hundred thousand volts. He was mostly unconscious when I happened to show up and then I got a four inch piece of wood shoved through my arm!” Stiles jerked his sleeve up to show Scott the bandage that was mostly soaked through. “That’s why I wasn’t at the stupid fucking conferences tonight, watching my dad’s back. That’s why he got hurt, because I got hurt, and I was benched!” 

“Stiles, I didn’t know.” Scott said. 

“Because you didn’t answer your phone!” Stiles yelled. 

Derek and Scott looked like a pair of puppies who had just gotten kicked. 

“Fuck Beacon Hills.” Stiles muttered. He turned and headed out of the parking lot. 

“Where are you going?” Derek called out. 

“Away from you two so I don’t end up impaled or shot or kidnapped or stabbed or strangled or tortured in any way, shape, or form!” Stiles yelled back. 

There was a roar of an engine and Derek drove past him and out of the parking lot. Stiles didn’t look back to see if Scott was still there. 

He didn’t care. 

These two were probably going to be the death of him, anyway. 


	10. Chapter 10

Stiles didn’t realize how far from home the hospital was. But he felt bad because he lost his cool with both Derek and Scott so he didn’t reach for his phone to call them. His arm ached and when he looked down at it, he noticed that there were droplets of blood on his fingertips. He probably tore it open when he was gesturing at Scott and Derek. 

It was dark, there were no cars on the road and the only thing he had on him was his back up gun in his holster. He sighed. 

“Why do you do this to me?” He asked the sky. 

There was, of course, no answer. 

Stiles pulled his hoodie off and then his shirt. He tore the sleeve off and made a mental note to go shopping again. He threw his hoodie over his shoulder and tore the shirt sleeve in half to make a bandage. He wrapped it around the gauze and watched as it soaked through. As he was tearing the other sleeve off, headlights approached. He didn’t bother to put his shirt back on. The bleeding was steady now and he had to staunch it. 

The car pulled over. 

Allison was driving and Lydia was in the passenger seat. 

“Are you ok?” Allison asked. Her eyes were wide and the concern was clear on her face.  

“I’m having kind of a spectacularly bad week.” Stiles said philosophically. He tightened the bandage and winced at the sting. 

“What the fuck happened to you?” Lydia demanded. 

“I fell. In the woods.” Stiles mumbled, unable to come up with something better. 

“The rest of you.” Lydia said and threw her door open. Allison got out as well and opened her trunk. 

Belatedly, Stiles realized that his tattoos and scars were on full display. “Rough childhood.” He muttered. Allison and Lydia exchanged a look. 

“Here.” Allison said and Lydia pushed him over to the trunk. Allison had a first aid kit open and she had some gauze out. She wrapped it expertly and neatly around his forearm and the bleeding seemed to slow. She sighed and looked at him. “You are so much trouble.” She said. 

Stiles nodded and pulled his hoodie on. 

Lydia looked distressed when he met her eyes. 

“I’m fine.” He muttered. 

“We- we heard about your dad.” Allison said. “I was there. Is he ok?” 

“Just a messed up shoulder. He’ll be fine.” Stiles said. He held up his arm. “Thank you. For this.” He turned and started walking away. There were things he had to do yet, pictures to pick up, apologies to be made, alphas to track, a psychotic aunt to kill. 

“Do you want to get some ice cream?” Lydia shouted at him. 

Stiles turned and squinted against the headlights. He opened his mouth to say no, he was fine, he had homework, but what came out instead was, “That sounds great.” 

“Get in.” Allison said. 

They ended up at a diner. Allison got steak and eggs, Lydia got a club sandwich and Stiles asked for the biggest possible sundae they had and a side of curly fries. They let him eat in silence for awhile before exchanging a look. 

Lydia raised a perfect eyebrow and asked, “Boy trouble?” 

Stiles thought of Derek and shoved a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. 

“Family trouble?” Allison asked. 

He thought of his dad in the hospital, the Director on his ass, the puppy dog look on Scott’s face. He shoved another spoon of ice cream into his mouth. 

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the gun around your ankle and the tattoos and scars, would it?” Lydia asked. Her voice was soft and the diner was near empty. 

“Or the thing at the video store with Jackson and Lydia?” 

“Or that hot guy that we saw you with the other day?” 

“Or a bunch of people dying lately?” 

Stiles looked away and out the window. There was a red SUV parked out there. “You girls are too smart for me. By half. And you are way too good for this town.” He said slowly. 

“That’s not a no.” Allison pointed out. 

Stiles ate more of his ice cream before pushing it away and reaching for his fries. 

“Have you ever been betrayed?” Stiles asked. “You think you can trust someone and  _ bam _ , they just prove you wrong?” 

“What do you mean?” Lydia asked. 

“They leave. Or they don’t show up when you need them? Like, really need them. Life or death stuff.” Stiles said. 

“No.” Lydia said. 

Allison shook her head. 

“It’s like someone carving their initials into your ribs. It hurts for a long time. And it’s never really gone. You know?” Stiles said. He dug out his wallet and threw a hundred dollar bill on the table. The girls stared at it and then him. He stood up. “I’ve got a job I have to finish.”

“Are you leaving?” Lydia asked. Stiles didn’t think about what she was asking or what she was really asking. She looked sad, suddenly. Allison looked worried. Stiles hoped that whatever sickness, violence, madness, ran in her family (and his, he was not immune to it either, if he were being honest with himself), it would pass her by. But Stiles had to also acknowledge the fact that if we do not learn from history, we will repeat it until we do.  

“I have to.” Stiles replied. The police station was nearby. If he cut through the woods, he could be home by midnight. 

“Is it-” Allison started and followed Stiles’ gaze out to the parking lot. She recognized the SUV. She stared hard at it and sucked in a deep breath. “Is it because of me? My family?” 

Stiles thought of lying to her, even opened his mouth to say no, but then he shut it and smiled instead. “Thank you, for helping me when no one else did.” He said softly. She turned back to him and met his eyes. “Be good.” Stiles said and hoped that she didn’t hear the note of begging in his voice. She bowed her head. He tapped the table twice with his knuckles and left.

***

They already knew him at the station so when Stiles walked in, the deputies greeted him and asked about his dad. He told them that he was doing fine and he would be back to glaring at everyone the day after tomorrow. One deputy handed him an envelope and Stiles took it from her and smiled. 

“Your dad called. Said that you left that here.” She said. She patted him on the back. “Take care of the old man, would you? He’s the first good one we’ve had here in a long time.”

The Sheriff before John had been so corrupt he made most politicians wince.

“Of course.” Stiles said and smiled back at her. 

“Do you need a ride?” She asked. “I didn’t see your Jeep.” 

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m gonna-” Stiles gestured to the door with the envelope. “I need to walk.” 

“Be careful.” She said. 

He nodded and made for the door. As he crossed the lonely street, he remembered the curfew and the rogue alpha out there and how all he had on him was his gun, a few spells, and some hope. It was a stupid, rookie mistake. 

Much to his surprise, he made it home without being shot by an Argent, being killed by a werewolf, or being yelled at by HQ. 

What wasn’t surprising was that he was home, alone. There was no note from Derek and there were no messages from Scott. Stiles didn’t bother to check if Derek’s beat up bag was near the door of his room. He went to the bathroom, cleaned up, patched himself up, and went to bed. 


	11. Chapter 11

At school the next day, Stiles avoided Scott’s eyes in their classes and stayed away from Allison and Lydia. He didn’t eat lunch. Instead, he sat in his Jeep and went over the case file once again. His backpack was lighter without the usual lunch packed away in it. 

Stiles studied all the cases that Kate had been implicated in before and saw a pattern forming - always fire. Exits guarded with wolfsbane and accelerants used. There were signs that she did not work alone but it didn’t seem like she worked with the same people twice. Most of the people that she did work with somehow ended up in prison or dead, though. That was interesting.  

In the case of the Hale fire, there were three survivors, Laura, Derek, and an uncle Peter. Stiles passed a hand over a family photo and studied Peter. He was handsome and he looked arrogant even in the picture.

He was at the hospital that Scott’s mom worked at and Stiles considered going, just to see what was what. He looked up at the school and considered it for a long moment before reaching for his phone. 

“Operator, how can I direct your call?” A friendly voice asked. 

“Medical, please. Non-emergency.” Stiles said. 

“Doctor or nurse?” 

“Doctor, please.” 

“Specialty?” 

“Lycanthropy.” 

“Hold.” 

Stiles listened to a top forty song and tapped his fingers along to the beat. He watched Mr. Harris cross the parking lot to his car and then back again. 

“Dr. Thurber here. Who am I speaking to?” 

“Mischief here.” Stiles said. 

“What can I do for you, agent?” He asked. 

“Say a werewolf was in a coma-” Stiles said. 

“How?” 

“A fire. Wolfsbane was involved. He was burned over most of his body. His pack died, two survived but left town.” 

“Hm.” Dr. Thurber said and Stiles heard the note of disapproval in his voice. In the event that a shifter is injured, the best thing for them would be to be close to family, pack. It was their fastest way back to their former selves. 

“They were hunted. And fifteen and eighteen, try not to be too harsh.” Stiles said. “Anyway, theoretically speaking, how long could this wolf be in a coma?” 

“Did the family members ever come back?” 

“Yes.” 

Dr. Thurber was silent for a moment. “A return of pack members could spur the healing process along. But to remain in a coma, for years, is unheard of in a wolf, Mischief. You know that as well as I do.” 

Stiles knew Thurber was looking at the same case file he was. Probably pulled it up the moment that he had Stiles’ code name. Stiles had taken his anatomy class years ago and excelled in it.

“I know.” Stiles said softly. 

“This- Peter, is it?- was very badly burned. The wolfsbane could have been inhaled in the fire and it isn’t unusual for the body to require an extended amount of rest to regenerate but even without pack members, he would have healed a long time ago.” Thurber said. 

“I should go see him, shouldn’t I?” Stiles asked. 

“That’s up to your father.” Thurber said diplomatically. “But when he tells you yes, make sure to take extensive notes for me.” 

“Will do, doctor. Thanks.” Stiles said and they hung up.

Stiles checked his watch. He had fifteen minutes left before he had to head back in for his afternoon classes. He dialed his dad. 

“Hey, pops.” He said when his dad picked up the phone. 

“Hey, son.” His dad said. 

“So, the Hales have an uncle at the hospital. Peter.” Stiles began. He didn’t want to say anything about how he had alienated both Scott and Derek and probably put the whole mission in jeopardy. 

“Right. Coma?” John said and Stiles could hear him shifting around. 

“Yeah, but I just talked to Dr. Thurber and he said that it is very unusual for a werewolf to be in a coma that long.”

“It’s not unheard of though.” John pointed out. “I had a case back in ‘97 when the shifter was in a coma for something like twelve years and he just woke up one day like it was nothing.” 

“What put him in the coma?” Stiles asked. 

“A plane crash. He was the only survivor.” John said and they both sighed. It was a huge difference. “Go visit him. Take Derek with you.” He finally said. 

Stiles must have waited a beat too long before answering because his father fell silent too. 

“What happened?” He asked. 

“Well.” Stiles said and sighed. He rubbed his forehead. “I think this one is getting to me, dad.” He finally said. He leaned forward and put his forehead on the steering wheel. 

“Tell me about it.” His dad said. But it was his dad’s voice, not his CO’s voice and Stiles felt all the tension ease out of his upper back. This is what he needed. He let out a breath. 

“I lost it on Derek and Scott last night.” He confessed. He winced. He should have been able to keep his cool around them. 

“Are they ok?” John asked. 

It wasn’t an unreasonable question. “Yeah. I just yelled at them.” 

John hummed on the other end of the line. “What is it about this one that’s getting to you?” He finally asked. 

Stiles studied the blue sky and thought about it. He thought about all the doctors telling him he had yet to deal with his mom’s death, that his obsession with keeping his father alive and healthy was impeding missions, he thought about the blank look on Derek’s face, the lost way Scott looked. “I don’t know if it’s just one thing. It’s- it’s a lot of loss here, dad.” 

His dad was silent but Stiles didn’t try to push the words from his father. “It is.” John finally agreed. “Have you slipped?” 

John was referring to the pilot program, the one that had Stiles up late at night, that pushed him to boundaries of what should be humanly possible. Of what should be morally tolerable. 

“Almost.” Stiles admitted and squeezed his eyes shut. “A little bit.” 

“When Kate was going after Derek, I imagine.” John said but there was no judgement in his voice. 

“Yeah.” Stiles whispered. 

John cleared his throat. “Ok. I have to send you back, son. You know that.” 

Stiles nodded because all of a sudden his throat was closed up. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. “I’m sorry, dad.” 

“There is  _ nothing  _ you have to apologize for. You are- you are the best thing that ever happened to me, kiddo. The Director told us to expect this. She also told us that you were exceptional and one or two slip ups is- it’s nothing.” John said. He let out a slow breath and laughed a little. “You’re amazing, Stiles.” 

For some reason,  _ that _ made the tears spill over. “Thanks.” He whispered. 

“Get it taken care of, come back, and help me kill this bastard.” His dad ordered. 

“Ok.” Stiles cleared his throat. “In the meantime, I’ll send Reyes in. She’s been chomping at the bit to come back out in the field with you.” 

His dad groaned. “Fine. But only because she is a better shot than both of us.” 

Stiles smiled. “I’ll call you when I get in, ok?” 

“Take care of yourself, kid. Ok?” His dad asked. 

Stiles nodded and wiped at his face. “Yeah, yep. You know me. I’ll be back before either one of us knows it.” 

“Make sure of it. I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Stiles said. 

They hung up the phone, Stiles put the keys into the ignition, opened the door, and jumped out. He looked around the interior, tapped the seat twice, locked the door, and closed it. He walked towards the road beyond the parking lot and didn’t look back. 

There was protocol and Stiles had no illusions about the severe lack of privacy both he and his father’s phones had. HQ would be sending someone for him. All he had to do was leave. 

***

He didn’t see Derek in the field with Scott, both of them watching his retreating back. He didn’t see them follow him as he walked down the road and when a black Mercedes pulled over and he climbed in, the only thing they saw was taillights. 

“What happened?” Scott asked. He felt more uneasy at Stiles’ sudden departure than he thought he should have. Stiles had brought nothing but trouble, he had been at the center of the supernatural mess that was now Scott’s life, he had yelled at Scott for things that weren’t his fault, things he couldn’t help. 

But he had also brought an unconditional friendship that Scott didn’t know he could have with another person. With Stiles, Scott felt more protection than he did with anyone else, including Derek.

“Did we break him?” Scott asked Derek. 

Derek watched the Mercedes as it got smaller and smaller in the distance. He sighed and closed his eyes. “No, I think he was on the edge before he even got here. His life is something that I don’t think we can understand, like, ever.” He was trying to remember what his mother said about the Stilinskis, how Stiles got the code name Mischief, why Stiles was intent on this mission, how everything felt so mixed up all of a sudden, how his heart was breaking and Scott smelled of fear and panic and was looking to Derek to fix it. 

_ Ha _ . 

Derek had never missed Laura more in his life. 

“We have to be better.” Scott murmured. His eyes were glued on the departing car. “Whoever Reyes is, we have to work with her. We have to watch the Sheriff. We have to find the alpha.” 

Derek nodded. “It starts now.” He said. 

“Do you think he’ll be back?” Scott asked. 

“I don’t know.” Derek muttered. 

When they got back to the school, the Jeep was gone. 


	12. Chapter 12

Scott almost choked on his pen when a blonde in sky high heels and a leather skirt walked into his first hour the next day and took Stiles’ former seat. She looked at Lydia who was caught somewhere between fascination, disgust, and judgement and then over to Allison who was looking at the girl like she was competition. The blonde leveled a look at both Allison and Lydia before leaning back in her seat and flipping open a book. 

It was Stiles’ book. 

Scott turned forward and focused on his own book and let the teacher’s words wash over him. 

When the bell rang, he all but ran for the door, but it was pointless. The girl, Reyes, was in almost all of his classes. She lived two streets away from him. Although she didn’t approach him, he felt her presence like a weight around his neck. When Derek showed up after school to pick him up, he dove into the car and slumped down in the seat. 

“Is that her?” Derek asked. 

Scott looked up the steps and nodded. Everyone was giving her a wide berth. She felt dangerous. Even the delicate way she moved down the steps felt like a threat. Allison and Lydia were glaring at her. 

Reyes walked down the stairs and met Derek’s eyes without flinching. She smirked, raised her hand, and turned away. She got into a small, expensive looking red sports car and peeled out of the parking lot. 

“She’s a wolf.” Derek muttered and gunned his engine. 

“I want Stiles back.” Scott whined.

“Me too.”    

***

“How was it?” Morrell asked. 

“Confusing.” Stiles said. He thought about the easy, picturesque beauty of the Hills and shook his head. 

“What do you mean?” She asked. 

“How does their world exist alongside ours?” Stiles asked. 

Morrell met his eyes for a brief second before looking down. “The same way that it always has, Stiles. Denial. A continuing reinforcement of the mythology of our world.” 

Stiles closed his eyes. “I want to tear it all down. I want to shove their faces in it. And not just McCall. Hale, too.” 

That seemed to catch Morrell by surprise. “Hale? Why him?” 

“Because he has given up. He wants to find who killed his sister and then go back to hiding. I can see it- it’s a look. Like he isn’t there anymore. And he doesn’t want to fight. He doesn’t care if he dies.” Stiles said. He gritted his teeth. 

The room vibrated. 

Morrell held up a hand when the four druids at the door moved forward. 

“Stiles, look at me.” She murmured. 

He did as she asked. 

When he met her eyes, his whole body relaxed. It was a mix of magic and hypnosis, and it worked every single time. 

“What is threatening you?” She asked. 

“Hale.” Stiles answered immediately. 

“What did he say?” 

“Nothing.” 

“How is he threatening you?” 

“He is going to bring it all down on me.” 

“What is he going to bring down on you?” 

“My life. Everything. My training. My work. All the people I have to save.” His voice trembled and the room vibrated again. 

“You are safe here.” Morrell said and raised a hand to the druids behind her. She didn’t take her eyes off of Stiles.

They were all contained in a room that was warded from everything that the Old Houses could think of. There were cameras at every angle. Five heavily armed guards were just outside the door and beyond them were the warlocks and witches and beyond  _ them _ was Stiles’ squad of similarly trained agents. The room was white and held two chairs. One was screwed into the floor and Stiles was currently strapped into it. Morrell sat in the other. He wore gray sweatpants and a loose blue tank top. His hair was soft and unstyled. His feet were bare. 

The room stopped vibrating. 

“Are you still with me?” Morrell asked. 

“Yeah, I’m here.” Stiles said. 

“What’s your code?” 

“Mischief. I’m still Mischief.” Stiles reassured her. 

Only once had Stiles used a different code and it had taken Morrell, the Sheriff, the Director, and ten highly trained battle druids to pull Stiles off the an alpha that had information on the other alpha that had tortured his mother and killed her. The way he had screamed that night still haunted Morrell and she could remember the French Revolution.

“He makes me want to feel things-” Stiles choked out. 

Morrell’s stomach sank. “You want to sleep with him.” She concluded, hoping that was it. Agents were encouraged to use their abilities to the extent that they were comfortable with. Stiles had never shied away from sleeping with their targets if he had to. He didn’t shy away from much, which was why they were here. 

“I want to wake up with him.” Stiles whispered. 

“Oh.” Morrell said.

It wasn’t just sex. But Morrell knew that. She was just deluding herself for a moment’s relief. 

No one moved. It seemed like time itself stopped. 

“Oh.” She whispered again. 

***

To say Scott’s first full moon was rough would have been an understatement of the year. By the time he was able to retain some semblance of control, Derek was bloody, tired, and hungry. His favorite tank top was ripped and the loft was a mess. 

Scott fell asleep in the middle of the floor and Derek slumped against the wall, his eye still on the kid. 

He wondered what it was like to be like Scott. He slept untroubled and didn’t thrash at the air or mumble in his sleep. He hadn’t killed anyone and had only just fallen in love. And for all Derek could discern, Allison was nothing like Kate. Derek thought about Laura and how her face had fallen when Derek told her everything; about Paige and Peter, about Kate, about his part in their family’s end. He fully expected to be thrown out on the cold streets of New York but she had wrapped herself around him and they had fallen asleep like that, tear tracks on both of their faces. He had never felt so safe with anyone. 

Until he met Stiles. It was the only reason Derek could think that he had all but moved in with Stiles. 

Stiles, who kept guns loaded with wolfsbane bullets like some people kept paperback romance novels. Stiles, who was warded against things Derek only heard whispers of. Stiles, armed and ready to fight for everything, everyone, including Derek- 

Made him feel safe. Made it easier for Derek to sleep at night. This kid who was way too young for Derek, but who was battle scarred and hardened, made Derek feel like he had an alpha again even though he was just a sixteen year old kid. He made Derek belong. 

Derek slumped over to the side and watched as a long slice in his thigh closed. He and Scott had fallen through a wall. Derek thought that Stiles would have laughed at them. 

“Come back.” He whispered. 

***

“Positions.” Lahey’s voice echoed through the chamber. 

The shadows shifted and Stiles let out a long, slow breath. 

The druids came first, pulling their magic from the earth, using it to push him back. Stiles pushed back and remembered an old trick from his mother. They used the earth, but so could he. 

_ Don’t make it more complicated than it has to be. _

Against their earth, he used water, pushed, pulled, and between the druids and Stiles, they destroyed the ground beneath their feet before the last of them fell. 

The witches and wizards were next and it was harder, but not impossible. They fell too and when the squad stepped forward, led by Boyd and Lahey, Stiles was breathing heavily. 

Two hours later, even Boyd fell. 

“Well, there’s certainly nothing wrong with your reflexes.” The Director said and picked her way across the destroyed floor. 

Isaac groaned and Liam whimpered. Boyd sat up and took a deep breath before standing. “Erica knew this was coming. That’s why she left.” He muttered. He helped Isaac up. 

“She left because Stiles requested her.” The Director said and looked around. “Maybe she also knew something like this was going to happen.” She admitted. 

Mason limped over and Liam pulled himself up. Malia tackled Stiles into a hug. 

“Great job!” She said and Stiles hugged her back. “The squad lasted twice as long this time.” 

“You guys have been doing good since Boyd and Isaac took over.” Stiles agreed. He tried to ignore the way the both of them puffed up their chests and looked so proud. 

“You weren’t terrible either.” Liam said and jerked a shard of glass out of his side. 

The Director was watching Stiles with steady, dark eyes. “I’ll have your assessment tomorrow. Get cleaned up, go get some food. Spend some time with your squad.” She ordered. 

“Yes ma’am.” He said. 

Then she was gone. 

People were streaming into the practice chamber, things were righting themselves, and everyone was staring at Stiles. 

It had been so long since he’d been in charge of the squad that he almost forgot to say something. “Let’s go get food. Is Espanol still open?” He asked. 

“Even better.” Isaac said. “Enrique is head chef.” 

“There is a god.” Stiles declared. 

And although he ate and took shots with his friends and laughed at them and with them, he couldn’t shake off the inevitable dread of a review in the morning. 

***

She was running from him and he heard her laughter. It was like a ribbon rippling on the wind. 

Derek put more speed on but when he made it to the clearing where her scent ended, there was nothing. 

“Gotta be faster than that, Hale.” A voice whispered in his ear and there was a flurry of punches that made him want to curl in on himself, but he turned and slashed out.

There was no one there. 

“You could be good.” Erica said from twenty feet away. “If you trained.” She wore ripped jeans but her feet were bare and her shirt was loose around her shoulders. It was Stiles’, from what Derek could smell. He wanted to tear it from her and not because he wanted her. No, he wanted to keep every small piece of Stiles for himself. She smelled like grass and sunshine and the beach but there was a distinct taste of belonging to someone else that made Derek bitter.

“Don’t pull the jealousy act.” She snapped. She seemed insulted and her eyes glowed a bright gold. “Stiles is my friend, a brother, and my CO. This?” She plucked at his shirt. “I wanted to see if I could get you out here. I  _ thought _ I’d have to try a little harder but-” She shrugged. “Guess not.” 

“What do you want?” He asked. 

“To go home. My boyfriend is waiting for me and the whole squad gets to hang out with Stiles while I’m out here with you and the other puppy, to make sure you two don’t kill yourselves or get killed or kill someone that could ignite a war.” Erica replied. She narrowed her eyes. Then she took three steps to her left, light, easy, like she was dancing, and Scott barreled through the spot where she had just been. “Nice try, McCall.” She said. 

Then she caught an arrow with her hand that was aimed at her belly and looked up. “I thought the Argents were supposed to be  _ good _ .” She hissed. She snapped the arrow in half and let the piece drop to her feet. Allison stepped out of the brush and next to Derek. She still had her crossbow up and aimed at Erica and on Derek’s other side, Scott was still partially shifted and panting. Erica did another dance-step-twirl and Derek barely registered the gunshots. 

“It was a nice try, Hale.” She said and reached into the treeline. She jerked Lydia and her gun out of the trees and threw them both at Derek’s feet. “But-” She shrugged. “Gotta do better if you want to take one of Stiles’ down.” 

“You’re a wolf.” Derek said. 

“I am.” Erica said and curtsied. Derek didn’t know a curtsy could be sarcastic and angry, but Erica pulled it off. 

“You call a human your alpha?” Derek said and shook his head. He felt the natural pull to follow Stiles but to say that he belonged to him, that he was the alpha-

It was a line a thought that Derek hadn’t considered before. 

“I wouldn’t say that Stiles is  _ human _ , per say.” Erica said and hummed. “You would have to go over the exact definition with him.” 

“Who are you?” Allison demanded. 

Erica looked at her, scanned her from head to toe, an assessing look that Derek had seen just before two wolves fought. 

“Reyes.” Erica said and looked around. She picked up a stick, about six inches long and the width of a soda can. She hefted it in her hand and then threw it,  _ hard _ , at someone else. 

A man stumbled and fell from a different part of the tree line. He was bleeding from his head. 

“Call them out, all of them, or the next one gets hurt.” Erica said and there was no mistaking the threat in her voice. 

Scott and Derek exchanged a look. 

“He isn’t with us.” Derek said. 

“Aw, ruined the surprise, sweetie!” A voice called out.

“Kate?” Allison said and she sounded so uncertain. 

Erica looked at Derek and he shook his head. She turned her back to the treeline and backed up so that she was in front of Derek, covering him with her slight frame. He was already shifted and Erica hissed at Scott, “Go. Take them and  _ run _ .” 

“Where?” Scott asked and Erica shoved Allison and Lydia at him. 

She snarled at him and that seemed to get the message across. Scott took the girls and left. 

Erica shifted and what she saw wasn’t the greatest thing she had ever seen. 

It wasn’t the worst. She  _ had  _ been in Istanbul with Stiles. 

“Where did Bambi eyes go?” Kate asked and raised her chin. Erica could still see a bruise despite the makeup caked on. “I’ve got to discuss a dentist bill.” 

“He didn’t want to catch anything he couldn’t wash off.” Erica said. 

Kate noticed her for the first time and her eyes narrowed.

Erica laughed. “Also, turns out, he said that the Argent pedophile wasn’t the great big challenge everyone had set her up to be. So he went home and let me have the easy job.”

On each side of Kate were seven hunters, heavily armed. 

Maybe if Erica had her team with her,  _ definitely  _ if Stiles had been there, it would have been fine. They would have gone home and Stiles would have congratulated Erica on a job well done and maybe there would be wolfsbane whiskey. She would curl up next to Boyd and he would whisper to her and they would sleep. 

But, for all intents and purposes, despite having Derek next to her, Erica was alone.

***

Stiles sat in the Director’s office the next morning. He had visited Maggie who had fixed his hangover and now he felt better than he had in at least a week. Morrell’s session paired with the exercise of the day before and R and R with his squad-

It had given him a whole new perspective on everything.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for agents to fall for their targets or vice versa. What was unusual was that what Derek was making Stiles feel like there could be a possibility of something there. 

The only catch was that Stiles would have to make significant changes to his life.   

The Director watched him over the rim of her cup and she smirked. 

“What?” Stiles asked and stretched. 

“You like Hale.” She teased gently. 

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Oh my god.” He muttered. 

“He broke through the iron concentration that Mischief is  _ famous _ for and made you confront some serious emotional feelings and it messed with your head.” She continued on. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Stiles declared. 

The Director smiled into her cup. “Your mother sat right there when she told me she had some serious misgivings about her new partner. He was hotheaded, argumentative, and stupid.”

“Dad always knew how to bring out the best in mom.” Stiles admitted. 

“And I’m going to tell you what I told her.” The Director went on. “If your feelings are this strong for someone, if they can bother you this much-” She shrugged. “I think it’s fair for you to explore it. See where it goes.” 

“You said that there were other assignments out there, on deck.” Stiles said. He shook his head. “I can’t do that to him. I can’t do that to me.  _ Again _ .” 

The Director hummed. “Well, we’ll see-” The door behind Stiles opened and the Director looked up. Boyd handed her a phone and she took it from him and frowned. Stiles craned his neck at the open door and the Director answered the phone. 

It was a short, terse conversation and she handed the phone back to Boyd and he left the room. She stood and Stiles stood with her. 

“I was planning on giving you the choice to go back to Beacon Hills, but even if you hadn’t been there already, I would have called you in.” She said. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Stiles said. Gone three days and it was already crashing in on him. There was a moment of panic when he thought of his dad out there without him. “Was the Sheriff-?” 

“He’s fine, but Reyes and Hale are taken. The McCalls are pinned down with Lydia Martin and Allison Argent. Suit up.” She ordered. “Take the squad.” 

Stiles nodded and turned towards the door. Beyond, he saw Boyd, Isaac, Liam, Malia, and Mason waiting for him. 

“Agent?” The Director said. Gone was the teasing and the playful conversation. “Bring them home.” 

“I will, ma’am.” Stiles promised. 

“One more thing.” She said. Stiles turned and she was only two feet away from him. She stared at him and Stiles felt something click into place. 

“Activate Project Void.” 

***

“This  _ sucks _ .” Erica hissed. Stiles’ shirt was in tatters at their feet and Derek noticed, with some amusement, she was wearing a Catwoman sports bra. 

“You were amazing out there.” Derek said and nodded to the cave entrance where they had been dragged through hours before. It had taken eight heavily armed men to take Erica down. 

“Stiles taught me everything I know.” Erica said. “If he had been here, we wouldn’t be here and they all-” She nodded to the people milling around the large room they were in, “Would probably be dead.” Then she glanced up at Derek. “No offense.” 

It had taken Kate and one armed guard to take Derek down. 

“I wasn’t cut out for this.” Derek said. “All this violence. Not for me, despite the fact that it follows me around.” 

“Oh baby, that’s just your kind.” Kate said and stepped forward. Derek could feel the subvocal growls from Erica. They were both chained to a metal fence that Derek figured was electrified. 

At the sight of her, all the words on Derek’s tongue dried up. She approached Derek and smirked up at him. He felt cold all over and like he was going to puke. He was shirtless, like Erica, but they had taken his pants as well. At least Erica had been able to keep hers. 

Kate leaned in close, gripped his hips, and licked his abs. 

Derek jerked away and he growled. 

Much to his surprise, Erica laughed. It surprised him out of his disgust and he looked over at her. Derek knew that Erica could smell his panic and fear and disgust and the bile rising in the back of his throat and still, she laughed. 

Maybe Derek was wrong to trust her. 

“Oh, man. I can’t wait for Stiles to get here and tear your tongue out of your mouth.” Erica said and snarled when Kate turned back to Derek and savagely stabbed him. 

Derek gasped and she left the knife in him.

“Come on. I need to go pick up my niece from a her little boyfriend’s house.” She said to one of the guys with guns. She nudged a different guy with her foot and tipped her head to Erica and Derek. “Play for as long as you’d like but don’t kill him. Her, I don’t care. I’ll be back to finish him off.” She blew a kiss over her shoulder at Derek and they left.  

“Hey.” Erica said and nudged his foot with hers. “Hang on, ok? He’s going to come for us. He  _ will _ .” 

Derek nodded but he didn’t believe it. 

No one had ever tried to save Derek Hale. 

Outside, they heard a howl. 

***

“Scott McCall, you are not-” Melissa began. 

“I’m  _ sorry _ , mom, but I didn’t mean to!” Scott cried. 

“A werewolf? Really?” She hissed. 

Lydia and Allison exchanged a look. If they could have left the hallway without being shot at, they would have. It was  _ that _ awkward.

“And you two, what are you? Vampires?” Melissa asked. 

“No. My family hunts werewolves.” Allison said.

“Oh. Ok. Perfect.” Melissa said before looking to Lydia. 

“Human. No werewolf or crazy hunting genes.” Lydia said.  

As it was, they were pinned in place because every time any of them in the house so much as tried to crawl, there were shots. They were behind a large entertainment center that Scott had tipped over and a coffee table that Allison had pushed over on its side.  

“Why are they shooting at us?” Melissa asked and pointed at the front door. 

“They think that I can lead them to the alpha werewolf that has been killing people.” Scott muttered. 

“Can you?” Melissa asked. 

“No! I don’t even know how to howl properly!” Scott said. “Stiles was supposed to help me but-” Scott stopped. 

“Stiles? The new kid?” Melissa pressed. 

“Yes. He’s a- he’s some kind of spy or something, I don’t know-” A window broke and a cannister fell in the middle of their group. 

Scott dove for it and threw it out the same window. 

“Smart.” Allison said a little unsteadily.

“Your dad is part of this!” Scott accused. He was clearly flustered and not handling a siege on his childhood home as well as he could. Although,  _ it was a siege on his childhood home with his mother inside. _ “He shot Stiles! I saw him!” 

Allison opened her mouth to say something but there were shots and they all ducked down again. 

“And your aunt! She is the one who is playing soldiers in the middle of our neighborhood!” Scott continued from his spot where he was plastered on the floor. “What kind of family does that?” 

“Family reunions are going to be a little rough, let’s be honest.” Stiles hissed from the kitchen.

Everyone turned and stared. 

Scott blinked and he smiled. “You’re back.” He said. The relief was clear on his face. 

“Well, you promised to take me to that movie. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, buddy.” He replied. Scott stared at him. There was something slightly different about him and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. It was like the time his cousins had moved everything exactly one inch to the left in his room and he was disorientated and couldn’t figure out why. Stiles was a little off, a little different. “Let’s get you guys out of here.” 

“Yes, please.” Lydia said. She was the first, closest to Stiles. He shielded her and kept her as close to the wall as he could, only exchanging gun fire once when it came too close to them. She crawled out the side door and into Isaac’s waiting arms. Allison was next and Stiles fist bumped her on the way out. Scott was after her and Stiles patted his cheek affectionately. 

“I knew there was something different about you.” Melissa said. 

“Sorry about that.” Stiles said honestly. 

Melissa opened her mouth to reply but the large bay window by her broke and a large man was hauling Melissa to her feet and pressing a gun under her chin. 

Stiles was on his feet, his own gun trained on the guy. 

“Give us the pup and I’ll-” 

Stiles’ shot was clean and precise and the guy was dead before he hit the floor. Stiles held his hand out to Melissa. “Gotta go.” Stiles urged. 

Melissa went but she didn’t trust the look in Stiles’ eye.

The team was waiting for them crouched by some bushes in the backyard. Beyond them, parked in the middle of the yard by a swingset that Scott hadn’t used in years, were six identical black motorcycles.   

“Can you take me to where you last saw them?” Stiles asked Scott. 

“Yeah.” Scott said and nodded.

“That’s my guy. My  _ man _ .” Stiles said. He turned to Melissa, Lydia, and Allison. “The three of you are going to go with my team and get the Sheriff.” Stiles turned to a young man with dark skin and kind eyes. “Find me. Find us, when you have the Sheriff.” 

“Does he know?” The guy asked. 

“No.” Stiles said and patted the guy’s shoulder. “But he’ll take care of it.” 

Scott took a moment to glance over Stiles’ team. Aside from Stiles’ second in command there were four guys and one girl. They were all dressed in black, tight body armor and armed with more weapons than Scott could count in a single glance. They watched Stiles and moved when he moved and didn’t miss a single beat. 

“Lancelot in charge here, guys.” Stiles was saying to them. “I’m going to take Scott and we’ll go through the woods. I would recommend taking the bikes and going through the backyards.” Stiles pointed across the street. “You know where Merlin is.” 

“Merlin?” Lydia asked.

“The Sheriff. During missions, he’s Merlin.” The curly haired guy said. 

“And who are you?” Allison asked Stiles. 

Stiles pressed his lips together. “We have to move.” 

Allison nodded and looked towards the guy in charge. 

“I’m Boyd.” He said. “Isaac, Malia, Mason, and Liam.” 

The whole of the team twitched and turned when they heard a howl from deep in the woods. 

“I think that’s our cue.” Liam murmured. 

“Call me.” Stiles said and tapped his ear. 

“Always do, boss.” Isaac said. He swung a leg over his bike and held a hand out to Allison. She hesitated and climbed on. Lydia got on Malia’s bike and Melissa clung to Liam.

Stiles got on his own and Scott pointed down the street. “You go through the backyards.” Stiles told Scott. “I’ll meet you at the corner and we’ll go.” Scott nodded and turned. Melissa’s stomach twisted. “I’ll draw their fire.” Stiles told the others. “Boyd, you go first, knock through those gates. Everyone else in the middle, Mason, you bring up the rear.” 

“What kind of prejudice?” Liam asked. 

“Maim. If you kill-” Stiles’ eyes went distant and it finally clicked with Melissa. His eyes were no longer the soft brown that she remembered upon first meeting him. No. Now they were black and there was no difference between the iris and pupil of his eye.

“If you kill, I’ll take it.” Stiles finally finished. 

The team exchanged a look that meant more than Melissa could understand. 

Before she could voice any kind of concern, Stiles was gone, flying around the side of the house, and then there was gunfire, and then she was holding onto Liam as they tore around the side of the house. 

Scott was  _ so _ grounded, werewolf or not. 

***

Derek regained consciousness and saw the guy in front of him with another knife. Erica had one impaled in her hand and Derek had three more along with the one that Kate left in his side. This guy in front of him was alternating between the knives and the electricity. Derek was soaked in sweat and even Erica looked slightly put out. 

At least she wasn’t whistling anymore. 

“Who do you work for?” The guy asked casually. 

Erica rolled her eyes and looked over at Derek. She was in pain, but not as much as Derek. She could still pull off the  _ Can-you-believe-this-guy? _ look at any rate, which meant that she had been conscious at least most of the time. 

“Other hunters?” The guy asked and flipped the knife around in his hand. 

Erica glared at him and Derek understood. It was an insult, to Stiles at least, to be equated with hunters. The agents prided themselves on tolerance, acceptance, and control; all things that the hunters lacked. 

The guy stabbed her in the leg. 

Erica gritted her teeth and her eyes flashed but she didn’t scream. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Finally, after a long moment, she let out a breath. “You are going to pay for that.” She said. 

“Sure.” The guy said and nodded sagely. He turned to Derek after watching Erica for a moment. “What happened with you and Argent?” 

“Grew facial hair.” Derek said. “Got too old for her.” 

Erica turned her head towards him, her mouth hanging open. Then she threw her head back and laughed. “Fuck, that’s a good one. Gotta tell Liam that one, he’s going to fucking love it.” 

“Stop acting like you’re going to leave this place.” The guy snapped, sounding irritated for the first time.

“I’m not acting.” Erica said and wiped her face on her shoulder. “It’s a plain and simple fact. Derek and I are going to leave this place. You will too. Just- I mean, you’re going to be full of bullet holes. Or in pieces.” Erica shrugged. “Maybe both. Depends on his mood.” 

“Whose mood?” Derek asked. He was panting and he felt hot all over. He knew that the knives in him weren’t poisoned but he was losing a lot of blood. 

“Mischief’s.” Erica said. 

Then they heard the gunfire.


	13. Chapter 13

When they slammed through the gate of the Sheriff’s house that led to a side entrance, Boyd was hunched over a piece of wood that impaled his midsection, Malia was bleeding heavily from where she had been shot, Isaac had to carry Mason in from where the poor kid has been shot so many times that he crashed his bike into the side of the house and Liam’s arm and side are soaked in blood. John threw the door open and ushered them in. The kitchen table was clear and Isaac put Mason down on his stomach and tore open his vest and the shirt beneath. 

Melissa hissed and stepped forward when she saw the thick black lines running up his back. 

“Ready?” Isaac asked from somewhere behind Melissa. 

She turned and watched in horror as Boyd nodded and put his hands on Isaac’s shoulders and Isaac gripped the wood that was in his midsection. 

“On three-” Isaac said. 

“No, wait-” Melissa said, her instincts kicking in.

“One-” Isaac started and jerked the wood out in one smooth move. 

Boyd roared and Melissa clapped her hands over her ears and watched as the wound healed up and there was nothing but smooth skin left behind. Boyd stood up straight a few seconds later. 

“We need those bullets.” Boyd said to John. 

John nodded. “Where’s Mischief?” 

There was the smallest amount of hesitation in the room and Malia fell against a counter and then crumpled to the ground. Lydia caught her before she could bash her head against anything. Liam, more quietly, slides down the fridge, leaving a red streak against the white panel. 

“Why aren’t they healing themselves?” Melissa asked. 

“Wolfsbane bullets. Poisons them and they can’t heal.” John said. He kept his eyes on Boyd and Isaac who looked like two kids in trouble. “Where’s Mischief? And Reyes?” He demanded. “Derek? Scott?” 

Isaac cleared his throat. “Hale and Reyes were taken. Operative-” Isaac’s voice trembled and he wiped his mouth. “Operative Void took McCall and went after them.” 

There was silence and then John sucked in a deep breath. “We have to go.” He looked at Melissa and for the first time, she registered the panic, the desperation. “We have to get them on their feet and we have to go after them.” He said.   

“I can get the bullets out.” Melissa said. 

“We need more bullets.” Isaac said to Boyd. Boyd nodded.

“You don’t need anymore bullets, we need to get these out.” Melissa said and gestured to Mason. 

“It won’t be enough.” Boyd explained and took the guns that John was handing him. “The poison is in their blood and tissues. It’s going to become necrotic in about half an hour. They will be dead in three hours. We need the same batch of wolfsbane to burn it out of them before they die. The closest source is going to be in their bullets.” 

Melissa pursed her lips and nodded. She assessed everything in front of her and clenched her fists. This wasn’t the hospital but she would have to make do. “Girls.” She snapped. “Wash up. To the elbow. Pull your hair out of your face. John, I need your brightest light and any surgical tools you might have or, if you don’t have any, your tool box.”

Everyone jumped when she gave them orders. 

“Boys.” Melissa said to Isaac and Boyd. “Get me two more tables in here before you go.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” They both murmured and left to go find the patio table and a desk. They helped Malia onto the desk where she promptly passed out and then Liam onto the patio table. John came back a moment later with a black bag. He pulled out several smaller bags and laid them out on the counter for Melissa. 

Surgical grade equipment. 

“Who the fuck are you people?” She muttered and took the hair tie from Lydia. 

Isaac opened his mouth but Melissa shook her head and pointed at the door. “Go. Get those bullets. Do  _ not _ come back if you don’t have them in hand.” 

Boyd and Isaac left as she took a scalpel in one hand and Lydia and Allison stood by, paper towels in hand to soak up the blood. 

***

“Here.” Scott said and Stiles jerked the motorcycle to a stop. There was a dead body in similar clothing to his. “Is this one of them?” 

Scott nodded. Stiles pushed the body over so that his nearly decapitated head lolled on the ground. “Erica.” Stiles said and smirked. “That’s my girl.” 

Scott stared at Stiles. 

“Are you ok?” Scott asked. 

Stiles nodded. “Got a job to do, buddy. Can you scent them?” He asked and pointed upwards, and turned a finger around in a circle. 

He could easily track Derek’s scent, comforting like an old friend’s house, woodsy, and a little smoky. “I have Derek. As long as they have Erica too…” He finished lamely.

“They better have my girl.” Stiles said and gestured for Scott to lead the way. 

“Are you and Erica-?” Scott asked. 

Stiles snorted. “No, dude. Boyd would kill me. And Erica’s my girl like- like if I had a sister, she’d be my girl. Make sense?” 

Scott nodded. Stiles pulled his gun out of his shoulder holster (one of his guns, Scott still couldn’t tell how many he had) and gestured for Scott to go ahead. He led the way and they walked for another ten minutes, silently. Scott couldn’t help but think about the first time they walked through these woods together, when they both had so many secrets between them and they met Derek for the first time. 

“He missed you.” Scott burst out. 

Stiles didn’t even pause. His heart skipped, just a little, just enough for Scott to notice. 

“It’s not the same without you here, dude.” Scott went on when it was clear that Stiles was not going to pick up his end of the conversation. It started raining just then because Scott’s life had turned into a weird action-spy-romance-horror movie. “I know this is stupid and like- like I’m just a kid who doesn’t know what the fuck is going on, but you were my  _ friend _ and that’s not something that’s just  _ pfft _ .”

Stiles snorted. “You make sounds unlike any other werewolf I have ever met in all my life.” 

Scott has to consider his comment. “That sounds like something out of a porn.” He pointed out. 

“I’ve asked you out on no less than two dates and you’ve accepted both times and you are surprised that I said something like that?” Stiles asked. 

“What’s going on with you?” Scott demanded. “Mom saw it too. You’re different. Did you- are you a robot? Did you get reprogrammed?” 

Stiles gave him a grim smile. “Let’s get my girl and Derek. I promise, I swear to you on my father’s life, I will tell you everything. You and Derek-” His sentence was cut off when two shadows darted out and tackled them. 

Stiles’ gun spun away from his grip but it didn’t matter. He had another. And another, and another, another… 

The wolf snapping at Stiles’ throat stopped suddenly when Stiles pressed a gun just under his chin and angled it so that the tip was just right and pulled the trigger three times. He tossed the the body off of him and followed the short distance where Scott was pinned underneath another wolf. He was bulky, huge, and held Scott down easily. There was a long gash on Scott’s face and Stiles felt an anger that he couldn’t hold back. 

He didn’t know how he did it but he got in the middle of the fight, got between Scott and the wolf, and shot him in the face. 

Scott scrambled back and away and Stiles spotted his gun lodged underneath what’s left of the werewolf’s head. He leaned down and jerked it out from under the dead wolf’s head. He wiped the blood and brains off on his pants and looked down at the dead guy. He smirked. “A face only a mother could love.” He muttered. Then he turned. “Let’s go.” 

Scott has to swallow past the sudden urge to vomit in the bushes. 

***

Derek looked up through his eyelashes at the entrance of whatever crude room they were in. His eyesight was bleary and it was probably because he was losing so much blood. Someone was screaming far away. 

“Hey, big guy.” Erica said and kicked him gently in the ankle. “Hear that? That’s the calvary. They’re coming for us.”

“No one comes for me.” Derek mumbled. 

“This one does. And he’ll kill anything in his way.” Erica looked to the guys standing around. There were ten of them and Erica smiled at them. She was getting tired but she could hang in there for Batman. The gunshots were measured and Erica could almost count them as beats. Derek’s head dropped to his chest again. He was too pale and he looked sweaty. 

“I’m the only one. I’m the only one left.” Derek muttered. 

Erica wasn’t sure that Derek knew he was speaking out loud. 

“Laura- dead. Family. Stiles-” Derek’s breath hitched and Erica thanked the Director mentally for all the emotional conditioning she underwent otherwise she would have been crying too. “Stiles left. Scott will. I’m the only one left.” 

“I am going to drag your depressed ass through mud, now.” Erica hissed at Derek. “You asked for it, Hale. You want a best friend? Well guess fucking what? That’s me. And if you don’t pull yourself through this, I know friends who know demons and I will follow you to hell and pull your ass out of there just to kick your ass up here. You get your head up and you fucking fight, you hear me?” 

Derek met her eyes and she hated that she could see the blank despair there. 

Erica opened her mouth to continue lecturing him but he door blew inward and interrupted her. 

It took out one guy, smashed him flat like a fucked up cartoon. 

Erica laughed.

Stiles cleared the doorway, took out three more guys before one tried to take a wild shot at him. He went down too, a bullet through his throat. Three guys advanced on Stiles, guns out, shouting. Stiles didn’t even seem to hear them, took them out one by one, graceful like a ballerina, effortless like a storm destroying everything close to it. 

The last guy stood by the crude device that controlled the electricity that Derek and Erica are becoming a little too intimate with. He was the one that had been taunting them. 

Stiles didn’t hesitate. He shot the gun in the hand, the one that was reaching for the power switch and launched himself over the table and slammed, feet first, into the guy. 

Erica doesn’t have to be told. This wasn’t Mischief below her, or even Stiles. 

Void was activated. 

“Where is she?” Stiles demanded. “Argent! Where is she?”  

The guy glared at him. Stiles pulled a knife out, held the guy’s hand and slid the knife slowly to the hilt into his hand, sank it into the hard packed dirt below them so that he was pinned in place. 

The guy screamed and tried to thrash against Stiles but Stiles jerked out of his way and waited. “She said- she said something about her niece. Being at some guy’s house.” Stiles nodded and jerked a knife out of Erica and stabbed it into the same leg, the same place as the guy. 

“I told you!” He screamed. 

Stiles looked down at the guy and shrugged. He stood and took the knife from Erica’s hand. She gasped and gritted her teeth even as it began to heal closed. Stiles flipped it around in his hand and knelt over the guy once more. He shoved it upwards, into the man’s chest and Erica knew that the guy was going to drown in his own blood before he would bleed out. Stiles sat back on his heels and watched him for a moment, as the man began to struggle to breathe.  

“Operative Void.” Erica muttered. 

Stiles head snapped up and he gave her a smirk that held none of Stiles’ usual warmth in it. He cut her free of her bindings and helped her down. He went over to Derek and tapped his face. Derek blinked at him. 

“I’m going to pull the knives out first. Then I’ll help you down. Yeah?” 

Derek nodded. He gave no outward sign of discomfort as Stiles did as he said. When Stiles went to put his arm around him to help him down, Derek flinched away. “You aren’t Stiles.” He said and limped towards the door. 

It was easier to see now that Erica focused. His eyes were black, the first giveaway. But he was so pale, so much more so than usual. He was blood splattered but that couldn’t hide the bags under his eyes or the cruel twist to his mouth. 

“You can go.” Stiles said to Erica. “There isn’t anyone left alive.” 

Stiles was true to his word. The first voice she heard that wasn’t Derek’s or Stiles’ was Scott. He was muttering to Derek and when Erica emerged from some weird cave/mine shaft, Derek was leaning against Scott, trembling and wiping at his mouth. 

As soon as Stiles left the cave, Erica registered the sound of an engine getting closer. 

“Operative Void, Lancelot here.” Erica heard Boyd’s tinny voice from the speaker in Stiles’ ear. “Hand your weapons over to Guinevere and stand down.” 

Stiles did as he was told and Erica noticed how his hands were already shaking. “We got you.” She whispered and trained a gun on him. 

Stiles nodded. 

Two SUVs appeared and everyone jumped out. Allison and Lydia joined Derek and Scott. Melissa followed slower, a bag in hand. There was blood all over them but looked remarkably calm. The SUVs kept their headlights on and Stiles stood in the cross section of their light. 

Everyone made a loose circle around Stiles, their weapons trained on him. John approached him. “Operative Void.” He said and Stiles looked up at him and scrunched his nose up. 

“I hate this part.” He muttered. John remained silent until Stiles nodded. “Go on.” 

“When is a door not a door?” John asked. 

Stiles’ shoulders slumped inward and he gasped a little like he was choking on something. He clawed at his throat and gagged. 

Erica hated this part too. It didn’t matter how many times she saw it, she never got used to it.

“Stand up.” John ordered and Stiles tried to obey and John asked again, “When is a door not a door?” 

Stiles’ mouth was moving and he was clawing at his head, pulling his own hair. John grasped his chin and made him look up. “When is a door. Not. A door?” He repeated. 

“When it’s ajar.” Stiles finally gasped and collapsed. 

John went with him and kept his eyes on Stiles. “Close it. Close it tight. Lock it.” 

Stiles was beyond words and he was flat on his back. His limbs were jerking but it wasn’t a seizure. His eyes were open but weren’t seeing. 

It was Operative Void, being shut down. 

“What’s your code?” John asked. 

“Mis- mischief.” Stiles got out. 

Everyone put their weapons away and descended on him. Boyd pulled off his jacket and laid it over him. Isaac shoved his own under Stiles’ feet. Liam whispered soft words to him. Malia checked him over for injuries. Mason ran a hand through his hair. 

“Melissa!” John shouted and she was there, pushing between Boyd and Isaac, checking his pulse and blood pressure. 

Then Stiles was screaming. It was so painful that everyone pulled away and Melissa realized that for the first time in her twenty years of nursing, she was crying as she knelt beside him. 

“Shock.” She muttered. “He needs, he needs to be warm.” She shook her head. “Elevate his feet. Water. Scott- water in the truck.” 

Scott was up and getting water from the back of the SUV. The wolves began stripping their clothes off and for a second, she thought it was to pile the clothes on top of Stiles. Then Erica straddled Stiles and shoved her face in his neck and curled her arms around his back. Boyd curled up on one side of him and Isaac on the other. Liam lifted his head so that Stiles could lay back on his warmth. Mason took one hand in his and rubbed it between his own. They were saying words to Stiles and after a few moments, awareness seeped into his eyes. 

He was crying. 

“Erica?” He said. His chest hitched on a sob.  

“You got me out, Batman.” She whispered. 

“Derek? Derek, did I get him-” 

“Yeah, shush, you got him. He’s just over there.” Liam said and rubbed his back soothingly. 

Erica sat up and turned to look back at Derek but when she looked at him, both his arms around Lydia and Allison, he seemed so shut off that she thought better of it. Scott was on the other side of Allison, watching them all wearily. Lydia was trembling and she had her face in Derek’s collarbone and Allison looked pale and unsteady. 

“Let’s get you up, big boy.” Boyd said. 

“I don’t think the Argents are done with us yet.” Isaac said.   

***

Derek was surprised when they made it home alive.

Frankly, he was surprised he was still alive.  

He only remembered he was in his briefs when he sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and the cool wood shocked his warm skin. He stood up and went upstairs and rooted around in Stiles’ drawers until he found something to wear. He felt like he was on autopilot, doing what he had to do, going through the motions. He couldn’t get the dead look on Stiles’ face out of his mind, couldn’t get the way he so casually killed so many people and it didn’t even bother him. 

Was this Stiles’ life? 

Derek tried not to resent the fact that “his room” already had skirts, heels, bras, and many tubes of red lipstick scattered around. 

When he came back downstairs, everyone was gathered in the living room. The young guy with dark blonde hair stood and urged Derek into his seat. Derek tried to wave him off but both Melissa and John looked up at him and he sat without another word and even took the drink that Erica shoved in his hand. 

Stiles was sandwiched between the curly haired one and Lancelot (that couldn’t actually be his real name, right?) and seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness. Lydia and Allison were sharing a recliner and the others were either standing or sitting on the ground. They looked exhausted. 

“Is this normal?” Melissa asked John quietly.

“What’s his heart rate?” John asked. 

She reached a hand out and put her fingers to his wrist and the room was quiet until she said, “Seventy five.” 

“He’s fine. He’s getting better.” John amended. “It always takes him a awhile to fully-” He waved his hand around. 

“Wake up.” Lancelot said.

“What is he?” Lydia asked quietly. 

“He’s-” John sighed. “He’s human. If you were a werewolf, you wouldn’t be able to smell the difference.” 

“He’s not entirely human, though, is he?” Allison asked. Lydia entwined their fingers and clung to her friend. 

“Let me start at the beginning.” John said. Both him and Melissa were sitting on the coffee table that they must have replaced after Derek had thrown Scott into the last one. “This is Boyd.” John said. “Code name, Lancelot.” 

Boyd raised a hand. 

“Isaac, code name, Gawain.” 

Isaac nodded. 

“Malia, code name, Percival.” 

“Liam, code name, Geraint.” 

“Mason, code name, Lamorak.”

Derek looked at Erica. “Code name, Guinevere.” She said.

“Are you Arthur?” Allison asked. 

A full bodied shiver wracked Stiles and Isaac hauled him closer. Derek didn’t want to watch the easy way Isaac tucked Stiles against him to share his body heat. Especially while Derek was wearing Stiles’ clothes, and his scent was surrounding him. The move looked terribly natural and familiar.

He watched anyway. 

“No.” John said. “I’m Merlin.” 

“Where’s Arthur?” Lydia asked. 

“We haven’t found him yet.” Boyd said. 

“You don’t have an alpha?” Derek asked. 

Everyone avoided his eyes. Derek didn’t have an alpha either but they at least had the good grace not to point it out. 

“Go ahead.” Melissa urged John. 

“Stiles’ mother was raised in the Old Houses, the agency that we belong to. I was pulled from Special Ops and recruited. We met, were paired on missions, Claudia hated me and I was madly in love with her and for some reason, she found it in her to love me back.” John cleared his throat and nodded. He reached forward and clasped one of his son’s hands between his own. Stiles muttered something but didn’t pull away. “We had Stiles and he was raised in the Houses, just like his mom and his grandma. Erica, Liam, and Boyd came to us as infants. They were orphans, their parents victims of various supernatural calamities. When they got old enough, they chose to take the Bite.” John paused. “Except Erica. She was four when she took the Bite.” 

“Why?” Scott asked. 

“I was epileptic. Meds weren’t helping.” Erica said and urged Derek to take a drink. 

He almost spat it out. “What is that?” 

“Specially formulated for wolves to replace electrolytes, sodium, and balance your system for faster healing.” Boyd said. “But it does taste like shit.” 

“Plug your nose and drink it down fast.” Malia said and showed him her empty bottle.

Derek did as he was advised. It still tasted awful but he did feel better. 

“Malia joined when she was nine when her mother had a nervous breakdown and couldn’t control her shift. She almost killed Malia. Mason was her neighbor at the time and was bitten when Malia’s mother went feral and joined us too.” 

“And I was their first mission.” Isaac said and ran his hand in Stiles’ hair, making it lie down flat.

Melissa looked from John, to Isaac, to Erica, and then to Boyd. She worked out the math. They had to be children during their first mission.  

“Isaac’s father was an arms dealer. Was into some shady dealings. Dealt in the werewolf pelt trade and shifter trafficking, the younger the better. So when six twelve year olds joined the children that were being shuffled in and out-” Boyd shrugged. “No one noticed.”

“Stiles had been a full fledged agent for three years by then. The others, for two years.” John said.

“He isn’t  _ exactly _ our alpha, but-” Malia shrugged. 

“He is.” Liam finished. 

“We raided that place, took down each and every one of them and when we leaving Stiles stopped us. Sometimes, not often but more often than he would like to admit, he  _ knows _ things.” Erica said. 

“He made us search every inch of that building, and we found Isaac in the sub-basement.” Liam said. 

“He was beaten, chained, gagged, and in a freezer. If Stiles hadn’t made us search the place, Isaac would have died that night too.” Erica said. 

“Instead, he came with us.” Malia finished quietly and tugged on Isaac’s curls lightly. He smiled up at her. 

“Stiles never wanted the bite, because he was able to work the elements so well. It was easier than breathing for him.” Boyd picked up. “The witches wanted him in their covens, the druids tried to bribe him, but he didn’t want to leave the field.” 

“He didn’t want to leave his pack.” Scott murmured.

“His family.” Derek added. Erica leaned her head on Derek’s shoulder. Derek leaned back into her, instinctively. And by the time he realized what he was doing, he had his face in her hair and was breathing in the smell of sunshine and wolf. It was too late to pull away now. Everyone had seen the gesture. Scott sat down next to Derek, between him and the arm rest, where there was exactly and inch and a half of room. Derek was smooshed between Erica and Scott until he manhandled Erica in between them. There was still no room and the three of them were pressed together from ankle to hip to shoulder. John watched with the expression of a man who knew his children were annoying, but god help him, he adored them.

“The Director came to us with a deal.” John said. “A chance to get the alpha that killed Claudia.” John stopped. 

“Project Nogitsune.” Isaac whispered. 

“The trickster?” Allison asked. 

Boyd nodded and his gaze was blank. “I wish I could explain to you how we grew up, the seven of us. It sounds like it was all work, but it was fun. We were happy, we went to school, we played outside, we swam, we went on vacations. We were technically orphans, but the Sheriff was always dad and the Queen was always mom. When she died- we all-” 

“We all lost our mom.” Liam said. 

“We all wanted that alpha like we can’t explain.” Erica said. 

“But Stiles was the one who had to listen to her die.” Isaac said. “So he wanted it,  _ needed _ it more than the rest of us. She was taken when she was breaking up a child prostitution ring. Stiles’ cover was blown but the rest of us were down in the dungeons, bound and gagged.”

“Claudia’s last act on this earth was protecting them.” John said and sounded dazed. “She had magic just the same as Stiles and a grenade. Her magic protected the kids and the grenade killed everyone else. Including her.” 

“She was dying anyway. Magic or not, a body can only handle so much.” Malia whispered. 

Melissa rubbed a hand over her mouth. 

“Project Nogitsune is part magic, part training, part hypnosis. Stiles was the only one who was young enough and able enough to handle it. They had to have a spark, the training, and the willingness to do it.” Malia said. “As long as the Director dangled that alpha in front of Stiles, he would be willing to do it.” 

“It was a series of hypnosis sessions, IVs, and magic that I don’t understand.” John said. “But after six months, it was done. Stiles came out of that wing of the House different. Not much but just enough that you could tell that there was  _ something _ .” 

“The first time they activated Operative Void was in Istanbul.” Boyd said. “There was a building on top of me, Liam, and Erica. Mason had been taken, Malia was being tortured over our radios, Isaac was chained in a basement somewhere, and Stiles had been shot multiple times. Dad was fighting a squad at the other end of town. We had all pretty much accepted that we were going to die.”

“We were so fucked.” Mason added. 

“Then the Director lands and there is a team sent out to get Stiles. Ten minutes after they have him, he is sweeping through the goddamn city, taking every single one of them out that was holding us like it was nothing. He helped the druids pull us out of the building, even.” Liam said. 

“But this is always the end result.” John said and nodded to Stiles who was now drooling on Isaac. 

“He hates it, but sometimes it’s necessary.” Erica said. 

“What do we do now?” Allison asked. “My dad- Kate-” 

“That’s your decision.” Malia said, her voice carefully neutral. “We won’t ask you to step away from them. Or to do anything on our behalf.”

“We need to rest.” John said. “Stiles will sleep it off and then we can talk strategy. I want the squad to stay.” 

They nodded but it didn’t look they were going to leave Stiles anyway. 

“Derek.” John said slowly. 

Derek met his eyes and he realized just then how tired John looked. 

“You aren’t- you can walk away from this. We can handle it, the alpha, the Argents, the clean up. But I want you to know that if you want to help, there is a place for you with us.” 

_ With us _ . 

John spoke for all of them but none of them looked hesitant or reluctant at his words. 

“I have to stay.” Derek said. “For- for Laura. For my family.” 

John nodded. “Good. You’ll stay here.” 

“I’ll take first watch.” Malia said. 

Allison and Lydia looked around. 

“You can leave, if you want.” John said. “No one will stop you.”

“My parents are in Paris for the month.” Lydia said. 

“My dad and aunt are professional killers without a moral code.” Allison added. 

“You can sleep in my room.” Erica said. 

“There is  _ no way _ Scott and I are safe, is there?” Melissa said. 

“Uh, no.” Isaac said. 

Melissa nodded. 

“Get some rest. In the morning, we will figure out how we proceed.” John said. 

They all scattered through the house and when Derek stood, Isaac caught his eye. “Could you-?” He said and gestured to Stiles. 

“Yeah.” Derek said. “Of course.” 

Stiles stood at Derek’s urging but stumbled when he tried to walk. Derek put Stiles’ arm around his shoulder and guided him to his room. He set him down and pulled his shoes off, then his pants and his shirt. Stiles was mostly asleep during the entire process. When Derek turned, Stiles’ clothes in hand, John was standing in the doorway. He tipped his head in the direction of the hamper. Derek tossed the clothes in. 

“Good night, son.” John said softly and closed the door. 

Derek looked around and considered the floor before he disregarded the idea out of hand. He undressed and slid into the bed next to Stiles. He put his back to Stiles but that didn’t deter Stiles from wrapping himself around Derek. 

It shouldn’t have surprised Derek, from someone who grew up with wolves. Stiles needed touch as much as any injured pack member. Derek was a warm body and he was close. Of course Stiles would reach for him. 

“Thanks, Der.” Stiles murmured. 

“For what?” Derek whispered. 

“Understanding.” 

It took awhile for Derek to sleep, but eventually, it found him. 

***

Derek woke in the middle of the night and saw Isaac asleep against the door with a large gun in his hands and Boyd staring out the window. 

Boyd looked down at him. “Sleep, big guy. We’ll need you both tomorrow.” 

Derek closed his eyes again.


	14. Chapter 14

When Derek woke up, the room was empty, the sun was shining through the window, and he could hear voices from downstairs. He went to the bathroom across the hall, brushed his teeth and went downstairs. 

He stopped at the kitchen entrance. 

Stiles was there, pouring a cup of coffee. The color was back in his face and his eyes were the familiar soft brown. His dad was at the table, his own cup in hand. Boyd was leaning against the fridge, his eyes glued on Allison, who had a gun in her hand and was pointing it at her father. Chris sat across from Allison, defenseless, his eyes red and puffy. 

Stiles looked up when Derek stopped and smiled. His whole face lit up. He looked younger than he had before he left, lighter and freer in a way Derek hadn’t seen before. Derek’s heart ached at the sight of him, at the sight of who he might have been if he had been given a chance at a different kind of life. 

He passed by the table, coffee in hand and pressed the cup into Derek’s hand. “Hey.” He murmured. Stiles was right up in his space, maybe because there wasn’t a lot of room in the kitchen, or maybe because he felt like he belonged there. Derek could smell the coffee on his breath, the sweetness of muffins that were on the table. He took in the color in his cheeks, the small smile meant only for Derek. 

Derek heard the others coming into the kitchen and Liam patted him on the back as he passed by. Isaac squeezed his bicep as he followed Liam to the coffee. 

“Do you think- do you think we can talk?” Stiles asked quietly. “I know my dad and the squad explained to you last night but, I thought that you and I could talk.” 

“Stiles.” Derek said quietly. 

“Yeah?” He said.

“What’s going on?” He asked and glanced at the table. 

Stiles turned and it was like he remembered that strange scene in front of them. “Oh.” He said. “Argent showed up this morning. He said that he was taking Allison and they were leaving the country. Allison told him that she would kill herself if he did.” Stiles paused. “It’s been a little tense.” 

Derek looked at him and he could only figure how wide his eyes were at that moment. “I think you and I have wildly different meanings of that word.” 

Stiles looked from Allison to her dad and nodded. “That’s fair.” He turned back to Derek and opened his mouth, as though he were going to continue his earlier conversation. 

Derek held up a finger, took a drink of the coffee, and then pointed to the table. Stiles shut his mouth and nodded. Derek nudged him back and pulled out the chair closest to Allison. Chris looked at him but turned back to Allison. 

“Speaking as someone who got their entire family killed, you don’t want to do that.” Derek said quietly. He took another drink from his coffee and kept his eyes on Allison. 

“You didn’t kill them. She did.” Allison whispered and there were tears in her eyes. “She killed them and you let me believe- you let me  _ love _ her.” Allison said to her dad. “Why would you do that? Did you know?” 

“No.” Chris whispered. 

“Bullshit.” Liam and Allison said at the same time. Derek heard his heart skip too but wasn’t going to point it out. 

“You  _ knew _ .” Allison said. “And it didn’t matter? Why? Because Derek was a monster? That made it ok for Kate to-” She looked pale and sick. “I  _ hate _ you.” 

Derek put his cup down and looked to John. John only raised his eyebrows but didn’t intervene. Derek put his hand on the gun and turned it towards himself. “Don’t do this, Allison.” He murmured. “This isn’t you. This isn’t what you want. He might have known, he might have been able to stop it, but killing him won’t solve anything.” He searched her eyes and for some reason thought of Laura. “It’s just one more death. More blood on the ground. Don’t do that to yourself.” 

Allison let him take the gun. Derek handed it over his shoulder to Stiles and Stiles took it. 

“I would have let her shoot you.” John said to Chris. “There isn’t a single person in this house that would have stopped her,” He nodded to Derek, “And he should have been at the top of the list to let you die.” 

Allison leaned heavily into Derek. She put her head on his shoulder but turned to face her father. “He might have the fangs and claws but you are the only monster here.” She said. 

Derek rubbed her back like he used to do for Cora when she was a baby and looked out the window. “Why are you here?” He asked Chris. 

Chris cleared his throat and wiped at his face. “I’ve been looking for Allison all night. Kate, my father-” 

“Gerard’s here?” John asked and he snapped to attention like he hadn’t before. He looked to Stiles and Derek turned to look at him too.

Stiles’ eyes narrowed and his face went carefully blank. His scent disappeared entirely from Derek’s nose and he looked to Liam and tipped his head to the side. Liam drank down the rest of his coffee and left the room, Boyd and Isaac with him. Derek listened to him rouse Malia and Erica and Mason joined them. 

“Why?” Stiles asked.

“Why what?” Chris asked and he seemed to be getting a bit of his attitude back now that his daughter wasn’t pointing a gun at him. “Why is Kate insane? Why is Gerard here? Why is he encouraging her?” 

“Why. Is Gerard. Here?” Stiles said slowly. He advanced on Chris and Derek stood, pulled Allison with him and ushered them both into a corner of the kitchen. He was beginning to learn when to get out of Stiles’ way. John took another drink from his coffee. Stiles was shaking and his voice was low. Derek could feel violence on him like heat coming off a pack member; but this wasn’t warm. This was cold. 

“Kate called him. I don’t know why. I told her to keep away from Hale, to find the alpha, and to get out.” Chris said. “I haven’t spoken to her in over a week.” 

“Where were you last night?” Stiles asked. 

“Looking for the alpha and then Allison. Someone else was killed.” Chris said.

Stiles rocked back on his feet. Lydia came downstairs and saw what was going on and joined Allison and Derek. Much like the night before, Derek was between them, but now they stood a little behind him, watching the others warily.  

Boyd and the others came down too and Derek registered their uniforms, the body armor, the incredibly large guns in their hands. 

Stiles looked to his dad and then Chris. 

“We’re going to do a sweep of the town.” Stiles declared. “Sheriff, I think you should go to the station, keep an ear to the ground. The Knights and I will be in contact. Chris, you go with Melissa and  _ stay with her _ . She doesn’t leave your sight, are we clear?” 

Chris nodded. 

“If she gets taken, if she is hurt in anyway, if you try to use her to get to anyone else here, you’ll wish Allison had killed you before we are done with you. Are we clear?” Stiles asked. 

“Crystal.” Chris muttered.

“Get him ready.” Stiles said to Erica. She gestured with a gun upstairs. Chris went. Scott stumbled into the kitchen, his mom right behind him. Allison took a few steps over to Scott and dragged him over to their group. He also stepped behind Derek, putting himself next to Allison. Derek wanted to know when he adopted a new little brother and two little sisters. Stiles drummed his fingers on the table and then straightened up. “Can I ask you a favor?” He said to Melissa. 

“Are you ok?” She asked.

Stiles blinked and it was the first time that Derek had seen him pause, however fleeting the moment was. His face went soft and heartbroken before a brittle smile took over. 

“Yeah.” He said softly. “I’m fine.” 

Melissa didn’t look like she believed him but she nodded anyway. 

“I need you to go into the hospital today. Keep an ear to the ground. We’ll give you an earpiece and Chris will shadow you. Ok?”

Melissa frowned. “Chris, as in asshole Argent?” 

Stiles chuckled. “That one, yeah.”

“I can’t have… I don’t know, literally anyone else?” She asked and looked to the squad. 

Stiles shook his head. “I need everyone where they are. The Knights have to stick with me so we can sweep the entire town in one pass, I need my dad at the station, and you are the only one with a place at the hospital. Chris is the only one left with the training to protect you.” 

“Why?” Melissa asked. 

“If there are more attacks, that’s where they will bring them.” Stiles said. “And I need to know right away if there are.”

“But I’ll be in public, do I really need-” Melissa gestured vaguely at the stairs. 

“I won’t have you hurt on my watch.” Stiles said softly. “And he’s the only one with training.”

Melissa and John exchanged a look that said something that Derek didn’t understand but she nodded. 

“What about us?” Derek asked. 

Stiles looked torn. “The alpha is after Scott to build his pack. We can also bet that he’s after the Argents for revenge.” He looked between Allison and Scott. “He might be after you too, Derek. Logic doesn’t seem to be part of his mastery skills. Kate will probably come back for you too, not to mention Gerard-” He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He glared at the floor. 

“They should keep moving.” Boyd said. 

Isaac nodded and snapped his fingers. He turned to Malia. Malia’s face lit up and she let out a soft gasp. She handed her rifle over to him and began to strip off her top until she was left in her tank top. She handed her shirt over too and pulled her hair out of her face. “The Camaro is yours, right?” She asked Derek. 

He nodded. 

“Give me half an hour.” She said and left. 

“New spell?” Stiles asked Isaac. 

“She’s been wanting to use it for awhile, but it has to be mobile.” Isaac nodded. 

“Ah.” Stiles said and nodded. “I’m going to get suited up.” He paused. “Derek, do you mind?” He asked and tilted his head towards the stairs. 

Derek felt carefully blank but he nodded and went upstairs. They passed Erica and Chris on the way down. Derek could smell the body armor under his civilian clothes. 

When they got in the room, Stiles closed the door and cut a shallow scratch into his thumb and pressed it into the rune at the door. Below them, Derek heard all the wolves groan. 

“What was that?” Derek asked. 

“Sound suppression. They can’t hear us, but we can hear them.” Stiles said softly. He went to his closet and reached into the far back where he kept his body armor. “So.” He said after a moment. He hung the garment bag on a hook on the door and unzipped it. 

“So.” Derek said and sat down on the unmade bed. They were both only wearing loose pajama pants. 

“They told you about Project Nogitsune.” Stiles said. 

Derek nodded. 

“And you saw it.” Stiles said. 

Derek nodded again. 

“Do you have- do you have any questions?” Stiles asked.

Derek had to pause, to consider his words. He knew it wasn’t his strong suit and he had more than a few misgivings about the whole thing, but he wasn’t sure if now was the time to address those. 

“Can you just turn it on and off?” Derek s hook his head, remembered what John had done the night before. “I mean, of course you can’t. How do you… become him?” 

Stiles gave him a look that said more than Derek could figure out. “No. I can’t. There have to be extenuating circumstances. I can’t activate Void. Only my dad and the Director know how to activate him.” 

“When you’re- when you’re like that, do you remember everything?” Derek asked. 

“Most of it.”

Derek went still for a moment and thought carefully before he finally spoke. “Why- why did you choose to do that?” He finally asked. 

“Imagine hearing your mom being torn apart and you are completely helpless to stop it even if she is in the next room. You would do anything you could to get at the monster that killed her. Wouldn’t you?” Stiles asked gently. 

“No-” Derek started. 

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “So the person who killed Laura, you’re just going to let them go? If you had Kate in your hands, you would hand her over to the police?” 

“No, of course not.” Derek said. “But I wouldn’t change who I am to get to them.” 

Stiles raised a finger, opened his mouth, closed it, dropped his hand, and looked away. He scrunched his eyebrow together and Derek had to remind himself that this kid, beautiful as he was, was still just sixteen. Trained killer, angry, violent, morally dubious, but still just sixteen. He shouldn’t want to smooth the wrinkle above his eyebrow away. He shouldn’t want to press his mouth to this kid’s neck and stay there because Stiles smelled like safety and his house smelled like pack and his pack felt  _ right _ .

“I didn’t change who I am to become Operative Void.” Stiles finally managed to get out. 

“No, whoever Void is, isn’t you.” Derek said and shook his head. 

“He is me. He always has been.” Stiles said and hunkered down in front of Derek. He took one of Derek’s hands and put it over a rune on his upper shoulder. “He’s here. He’s always been here. How could something like that not grow in someone who’s been raised like me?” 

Derek took a moment to feel the warm flesh and the easy give of Stiles beneath his palm. He could feel the magic in there, reaching for him like a promise. He traced Stiles’ collarbone and then pulled away. 

“Void is me but without the distractions.” Stiles said. “To him, there is only the mission. There is nothing to feel, no one to love, no heart to preserve, no moral code to abide by. Void has and will do anything to get the mission done. When he is activated, it is when-” Stiles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It’s when failure is a near certainty. And failure is not acceptable.” 

Derek finally met Stiles’ eyes. “How do you do this?” 

“It’s what I do.” Stiles whispered. He cupped Derek’s cheek briefly before pulling away. “You’re a good man, Derek. I can’t ask you to understand.” Stiles stood up. 

“I’m not-” Derek said. 

“See, here’s the thing. You  _ are _ . A lesser person who have stepped back and let Allison kill her dad. Did you see me or my dad or Boyd trying to stop her? Hell no. But you, the one the Argents stole from more than anyone, you stopped her. Took the gun from her. Offered her a soft place to land.” Stiles shook his head. “No wonder I disgust you.” 

Derek opened his mouth but no words came out. 

Stiles gave him a small smiled and ran his hand through Derek’s hair. “It’s ok. I disgust myself sometimes.” 

“You don’t-” Derek started. 

There was a knock at the door. “Stiles? Derek? Malia’s done. We’re ready.” 

“Give me a minute.” Stiles called and then sighed when he remembered that Isaac couldn’t hear him. He opened the door. “Ok. We’ll be down in a minute.” Isaac nodded and looked to Derek for a brief second 

Stiles stripped his pants off with a mechanical efficiency and jerked the tactical ones on. He rifled through a drawer before pulling a tank top on and then went through another drawer before tossing a pair of jeans and a henley at Derek. “You left those here.” He muttered. 

Derek got dressed slower, his mind trying to wrap itself around Stiles’ words. When he turned, Stiles was shrugging a shoulder holster on and slipping two guns into it. He strapped a thigh holster on and slipped another gun into it, and then another around his ankle. Another thigh holster, but this time a knife with runes carved in it. Forearm holsters were next and sharp blades were tucked away.

Derek’s mouth went dry and it took him a couple of tries to button his pants. 

Finally, Stiles knelt at the edge of his bed and pulled a case out. He opened it, and pulled a large rifle out. 

“Hey, baby.” Stiles whispered. Derek shifted and realized that he was insanely jealous of an inanimate object because Stiles had called it  _ baby _ . Stiles seemed to remember he was there and cleared his throat. “Ready?” 

“Yeah.” Derek said. 

“Do you want anything? I mean, I have extra.” 

Derek knew he did. He could smell the metal, the gun powder, all of it mixing up with Stiles’ scent. 

“If it comes down to me shooting something, we’re dead already.” Derek told him. 

“Don’t like guns?” Stiles asked and quirked an eyebrow. 

“I am the weapon. I haven’t ever needed one.” Derek said. 

Stiles nodded and gestured to the door. Downstairs, Malia was covered in sweet smelling herbs and there was color in her cheeks. She pulled her shirt on and rubbed her cheek against Isaac’s and then buried her face in Erica’s hair, scenting them, making herself smell more like them than Derek’s car and whatever spell she had just cast. 

“Good?” Stiles asked. She rubbed her cheek to his and Derek felt frighteningly like attacking. Over Stiles’ shoulder Malia caught his eye and rolled her eyes. She went over to Boyd and he opened his arms willingly and she tucked her head underneath his chin and he rubbed his cheek into her hair.  

“Yep.” She said. 

“Ok.” Stiles said. “Everyone knows what to do, right?” 

Everyone nodded. 

“Derek, don’t stop moving. Stay in town, call me if you need anything, but stay on the move.” Stiles instructed. 

Derek plucked his keys and a phone from Liam’s hand. “Got it.” 

Stiles nodded and everyone made for the exits. The squad was going out the backdoor, to start their sweep of the woods. Chris and Melissa and the Sheriff were on their way to the front and Allison, Stiles, and Lydia drifted that way too, to give Derek and Stiles the pretense of privacy. 

“It could get sticky out there.” Stiles said. “But don’t hesitate to call if you need help.” 

“I won’t.” Derek said. 

“We’ll talk? After?” Stiles said. 

“If that’s what you want.” Derek said neutrally. 

Stiles nodded, pressed his hand to Derek’s cheek and then his neck and left out the back. Stiles was more wolf than Derek at this point, scenting him whenever he had the chance. Derek had to swallow past the gesture but returned it anyway. Derek turned towards the others who were watching him like he knew what the fuck he was doing. “Let’s go.” He murmured.

John had his hand on the door knob when his radio crackled to life. “All units we have a code three. All units, code three to Beacon Hills Elementary, possible priority five. I repeat, code three, Beacon Hills Elementary, possible priority five.”

John looked to Chris and Melissa and then turned and ran for the back door. He almost crashed into Stiles who was running for the front door and seized him by his vest. Their eyes met and it was a moment that Derek would never forget; father and son looking at the other with such clarity that there were no words needed, no possible chance of misunderstanding. Mason ran up the stairs and something fell in a room above them and he came back down, stumbled down the last two steps with black jackets in his arms, shoved Scott out of the way, gave one jacket to Stiles, and went back out the door.  

John dropped his hands and Stiles stepped away. “Be safe.” He told him.

Stiles pulled a jacket on, the back emblazoned with FBI on it. “You too, dad.” He said. Stiles looked to the others, gave Scott a small smile, held Derek’s gaze for a moment and turned and left. 

When Derek turned, he realized that Melissa and Chris were long gone. John was already on his way out and getting into his car. 

Derek got in the Camaro and the others followed him. Scott and Allison got in the back and Lydia sat in the front. 

“What was that code?” Scott whispered. 

“All units respond, use lights and sirens.” Allison said. 

“Priority five is a mass casualty.” Lydia whispered.

Derek gripped the wheel tightly in his hands and heard it creak. 

“I can shoot.” Allison offered. 

“Shoot what?” Derek asked. 

“Anything.” Allison answered. “I can fight, too. You and Scott are walking weapons.” 

“Get what you need.” Derek ordered. “But hurry.” 


	15. Chapter 15

They parked down the street from the school. The place was swarming with lights and ambulances and people running everywhere. Derek walked right past an open police car and snatched two vests out of the backseat and handed one to Allison and the other to Lydia.

“Do not take any chances.” He muttered. 

They nodded and disappeared into a crowd. Scott came back with two baseball caps and jackets with BHPD emblazoned on them. 

“Good.” Derek said and shrugged it on. “Let’s go.” 

They stopped at the edge of the crowd of police cars and watched, both of them slightly sickened, as Stiles and the Knights went in the front door. They all had black masks covering their mouth and nose and Derek had no doubt that was to prevent the shifters from breathing in any wolfsbane in the event they were shot with it. The shifters had protective eyewear on as well, but Stiles didn’t. 

“I can’t believe they brought SWAT in for the fucking mountain lion.” A deputy said from Derek’s right side. 

Derek nodded. “Hope they catch it.” 

“Kids are still in there.” The guy murmured so that no one behind the police line could hear him and shook his head. “This team better be on their toes.”

Derek nodded. “Excuse us.” He said and jerked his head back to the cars when he caught Scott’s eye. Scott followed him and then they made a wide loop around the school to the hill behind it. The playground was empty and Derek took a deep breath. 

“He’s here.” Scott muttered. 

Derek nodded. They headed for the fence and jumped it. Scott watched Derek’s back as Derek jerked the door open. Inside, they snuck in through an empty lunch room, into a hallway. The entire school was eerily quiet until Derek picked up Allison’s voice hushing someone. Derek and Scott followed her voice down the hall and to a music classroom that had several teachers and well over fifty terrified children. Allison had a gun in her hand and a compound bow over her shoulder. Derek raised an eyebrow at it. She didn’t have that when she left the Stilinski’s. 

_ Dad _ , she mouthed at him. 

Derek nodded. 

“What’s the plan, officer?” A young woman asked when she approached Derek. 

“Get them out of here.” Derek said and nodded. “SWAT is here and is looking for the animal. The lunch room is open. My partner will go to that end. I need one of you leading the children out and around the building.” Derek said. “Another needs to take the middle of the line. Single file. I will stay in the middle of the hall, keep an eye out and my other partner will stay back here and wait till everyone is gone.” He paused and looked around. “Got it?” He said. 

Everyone nodded. 

The teachers stood up and began to usher the children into line. They were scary quiet and watched Derek, Scott, and Allison with wide eyes. The three of them huddled together.

“Where’s Lydia?” He asked. 

“Third grade wing.” Allison said.

Derek nodded. It was down the hall and around the corner. 

“Lead them out and have a teacher lead them around the front.” Derek whispered to Scott. Scott nodded. “Listen for anything that is remotely suspicious. Eyes and ears are good, but use your nose too, McCall.” 

Scott nodded and left the room. Derek watched as he went down the hall, made sure the way out was still clear, and gestured for Derek. 

Derek took the hand of the small kid at the front, ponytail, big brown eyes, and crooked teeth. “You’re the leader.” He whispered to her. “The big bad alpha wolf who is going to show everyone the way, ok?” 

She nodded and squared her small shoulders.

“Let’s go.” Derek whispered and nodded to the teacher. Derek took them down the hall and pointed to Scott. He went back to the middle of the hall and pointed to the doorway.

When the last one came out, Allison followed. 

“Lydia.” She murmured and Scott and Derek followed her. They stopped at the corner and Derek nodded when he was sure it was quiet. Derek went first, to be sure, and listened for Lydia’s heart. Two doors down, he tapped on the door. There was no answer but he heard someone’s heart speed up. 

“You are a werewolf, break the goddamn door.” Allison hissed. 

Derek grasped the handle and pushed down, stepped in, Scott just behind him and got nailed in the head with a pencil sharpener, and heard Scott get hit with a stapler.

“Stop!” Derek whispered. 

Two teachers and Lydia stopped and Derek was glad that they did. Each had a bat and several of the kids looked ready to use their teeth and nails if they had to. 

“Same drill as before.” Derek said to Allison and Scott. They nodded, Derek explained quickly to the teachers what they were doing and they got the kids in line. There were more children this time, probably over sixty. 

Derek couldn’t help but feel that their time was running out. When he met Lydia’s eyes, she seemed to be feeling the same way. Nonetheless, she gave him a shaky smile. 

“Ok. Scott, you first.” Derek murmured and took the hand of the kid first in line. A little boy this time, wearing a Superman shirt. “I like your shirt.” He told the kid. 

“I like Batman better but this was the only one clean.” The kid informed him. 

Derek couldn’t help his smile.

The hallways made a T, with the hallway leading to the lunchroom as the longer part and the hallway leading to the third grade as the top. Derek remembered that if he went straight, there was another way out, but it was down a longer hallway. That risked the chance of them running into the alpha.

They followed Scott out, and when they were four steps down the hall to the lunchroom, Scott and Derek stopped. 

“Go back.” Scott whispered. “Back, back, back.” He backed up a step and Derek had to push himself to remember to use his legs. To not shift. 

The alpha was at the end of the hall. 

Derek picked up the kid in the Superman shirt, and three others behind him. Scott picked up two more and the others ran back into the class. 

“There’s another-” The teacher started but when she turned to look that way, she shut her mouth. 

Kate was leading a group of men and they were clearly not the police. 

“Get in.” Allison said and shoved the woman into the classroom with the students. She handed Lydia a nine millimeter and Lydia switched the safety off and pointed it at the ground. She took a shooters stance. 

Derek and Scott stared at her. 

“What?” She said. “Erica and Allison were showing me some stuff last night.” 

“She’s a quick study.” Allison informed them. 

“We should call the Knights.” Lydia said and looked at Derek meaningfully. 

Derek rolled his shoulders, felt the tension release as his features shifted, and crouched. Scott did the same. 

“Put it away, baby.” Kate called. “We aren’t here for you.” 

Derek and Allison looked at each other, but they weren’t sure who she was talking to. 

“Allison, step away.” Kate ordered. 

“Derek.” Lydia whispered. 

Derek roared. It shook the broken door and made the others pause behind Kate. The alpha sped up his pace.

Allison shot first. 

It hit Kate high in the shoulder and took out the guy behind her. Something went dead and flat in Kate’s expression and then Lydia shot. She took out another guy behind Kate and then the alpha was there between the two groups. 

Allison handed Derek her gun and pulled her crossbow out. Derek looked from the gun to her and back again. He handed it to Lydia. 

The alpha charged Kate first but she was already spinning away and shooting. It roared again and Derek winced. It seemed to forget about Kate when it turned to Derek and Scott. It charged straight for them and Derek counted three arrows and four bullets that did nothing to change its course. It slammed into Scott and Derek saw  _ red _ . 

He charged after the alpha himself, threw all his strength and weight behind it and threw it off Scott. Scott stood and just as the alpha went for Derek, Scott swung, laid its shoulder open. 

“Run!” Derek yelled at Scott, but Scott shook his head. 

Derek was trying to understand why he wasn’t leaving and that’s when he missed the first set of claws and then the second. The third and fourth sent him to his knees and then there were claws in his back, lifting him off his feet. Through the haze he heard screams, children, the girls and just as the alpha threw him into the wall, he heard, “ _ FBI! Get down on the ground!” _

***

Boyd led them around the corner, with Stiles and Isaac behind him. When they turned the corner, Allison, Lydia, and Scott stood between the alpha and Kate Argent, with the Knights on the other side of the alpha. Distantly, Stiles registered the screams of the children but it all faded when he saw the alpha plunge its claws into Derek’s back and blood pour from his mouth. 

Argent’s men took advantage of the confusion and started forward. Stiles turned his gun on them and began shooting, one after the other, falling. 

Kate ran. 

The Knights scattered when the alpha turned to them. It grasped Scott by the shoulder, its claws digging in deep, even as he tried to scramble away, and threw him  _ hard _ into the same wall that it had thrown Derek into. He landed in a crumple partially on top of Derek. 

Mason and Liam ducked, swung themselves underneath the alpha and shoved Allison and Lydia into the classroom. They entered the room after them, according to the plan that they had laid out earlier. They were going to get the kids out the window or blow a wall if it came to that. 

Erica and Boyd were trying to get behind the alpha to get between it and the classroom doors for an added layer of protecting but it was too fast. Malia was ducking, trying to get to Derek who had a large pool of blood growing around him, but it kept blocking her as well.

Boyd feinted and Erica tried to get by it once more, but it caught her high across the chest, tearing through her body armor like it was tissue paper. Boyd slammed the butt of his gun into the back of its head and got a back fist across his mouth for it. He fell, crumpled, near Erica.

“Hey!” Stiles yelled and that caught its attention. Stiles shot it and it turned and snarled at him. Isaac looked at him and they both winced. Wolfsbane was going to hurt it, but it wasn’t going to kill it. 

It grinned at them. 

Then it backed away, slowly, in the same direction that Kate had disappeared to. 

“Oh, no, you son of a bitch-” Stiles muttered and started forward. Malia and Isaac fell by Derek, it sounded like Mason and Liam really did have to blow the wall out, and it still kept backing away. Isaac dropped to his knees by Erica and Boyd and looked desperately up at Stiles. 

“Mischief-” He whispered. 

“Shit.” Stiles hissed and slung his gun over his back. 

The alpha left, in the same direction as Kate. 

“Sheriff, we will meet you at home.” Stiles hissed over his com. 

“Got it.” 

      ***

Derek opened his eyes and found himself almost nose to nose with Scott. He was on his stomach, the same as Scott. Scott had a hell of a black eye and there was a huge bruise across his shoulder. Derek caught sight of stitches across his neck and shoulder. 

Derek felt sick, sore, and angry. His back felt like someone had taken a grater to it and it hurt when he pushed himself up. He was in his room. Or maybe Erica’s room, he wasn’t sure about placement anymore. Maybe his room was now Stiles’ room? Or would that be assuming too much? 

Derek couldn’t be sure. 

He wore a pair of sweatpants he had never seen before. When he passed by the room that Stiles slept in, Erica, Boyd, and Isaac were all sprawled out in it. He closed the door part of the way to filter some noise out for them. Boyd opened one eye and raised a hand at him. Derek nodded. 

Derek made his way slowly down the stairs. His skin tugged and itched at each step and Derek had to stop himself from scratching. He turned and went into the kitchen and stopped.

The table was askew in the middle of the room and it was covered in blood. Melissa sat in a chair against the fridge. Her shirt was splashed in blood. Lydia was in the corner, covered in just as much blood and leaned against Isaac who was petting her hair. Mason and Liam were asleep in the living room, sprawled out on the floor, fingertips touching like they had to be in contact, however small the contact was. John was leaning back on the sofa, arms by his side. Derek heard Allison and her father pull up in a car outside. Stiles was in a chair in middle of the kitchen, legs spread out wide in front of him. His face was splashed with blood and there were bags under his eyes. He still had his body armor on. 

Allison and Chris came in, carrying bags of food. They set everything down on the table in entryway, since everything else was covered in blood in the kitchen. They handed something to everyone and Chris sat down on the couch by the Sheriff. Liam and Mason woke up, found the food and dug in. 

Derek looked down at the burger in his hand. He didn’t remember anyone handing it to him.  

Stiles stood, went to the freezer and dug out a bottle of whiskey. John didn’t even blink.

Stiles sat down, opened the bottle, and took a long drink. He put it down, looked at it, and picked it up again and took another drink. 

“Pretty heavy drinker for sixteen.” Chris remarked. 

“Fuck off, Argent, I’m twenty-three.” Stiles said casually. 

Argent nodded. “Oh.” He said. 

Derek took a bite of his burger and tried not to look too concerned at the news. Allison gave him some fries and sat down on a partially broken chair. It tipped but she seemed to balance herself on it. Isaac offered Lydia some of his drink. 

They finished their meal in silence. 

Melissa stood up and approached Derek. “Let me see.” She murmured. 

Derek turned and he felt Melissa’s fingers on his back and his skin prickled. 

“How do you feel?” She asked. 

“Ok.” He asked. “Itchy. Its sensitive.” 

“Why didn’t you heal right away?” Melissa asked. “And Scott? The others?” 

“Wounds from an alpha take longer to heal.” Derek said. 

“Oh.” Melissa said. She patted his shoulder and went and sat by the Sheriff. She leaned against him and he automatically curled his arm around her. “I wasn’t prepared for this in nursing school.” 

“We took a hit today.” He acknowledged. 

The bottle clinked down on the table and Derek looked over at Stiles. “I would like to be drunk.” He said out loud. 

“You’re going to need another bottle.” Isaac informed him dully. 

“Hm.” Stiles said and took another drink. 

“What happened?” Derek asked and gestured to the kitchen as a whole. He tried to put his wrapper in the trash but it was overflowing with bloody napkins. He could smell his own blood like a tidal wave. 

“You, Boyd, Erica, and Scott bled all over the kitchen. Melissa stitched you up. Erica too. And Scott. Put Scott to bed. Boyd had to carry himself up there seeing as everyone was trying to keep your insides on your inside.” Stiles said and gestured at Derek’s torso. 

“I saw your spleen.” Lydia said. 

“I’m sorry.” Derek said seriously. 

Lydia shrugged and stared off into space. Isaac nudged her and she took a big bite of her chicken sandwich.

“What do we do next?” Mason asked. 

“Hm.” Stiles said. “What next.” 

There was silence. 

“I think,” Stiles began, “I will start with a shower. And then, maybe a nap? I don’t know. Another one of these would be fantastic.” He said and held up his empty burger wrapper. “Movie night?” 

“Stiles.” His father scolded. 

“Fine. But the shower is nonnegotiable.” Stiles said and stood. He brushed past Derek and went upstairs. 

“He’s twenty-three?” Derek hissed when he heard the bedroom door close upstairs. 

Isaac snorted. “We all are, genius.” 

Derek went up the stairs after Stiles. Stiles was closing the bathroom door just as Derek reached the top of the stairs and he all but muscled his way into the bathroom. 

“What- what are you doing?” Stiles hissed. He looked a little angry and slightly alarmed but finally stepped back and let Derek in. 

Derek shook his head and wanted to strangle him. Instead he cradled Stiles’ face in his hands and stroked them down his neck and back up again. Derek tangled his hands in Stiles’ hair and leaned forward and put his forehead to Stiles’. He leaned in heavily and pushed Stiles into the wall, pressed them together so that they were shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, knee to knee. It wasn’t sexual but the nearness of having Stiles alive, close, feeling like he was real, like  _ they _ could be real, uncoiled something dark and sweet in his chest. Derek let himself breathe for the first time in what felt like a very long time. His hands were trembling and he wanted to be close to Stiles in every way possible. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Stiles asked. He closed his hands around Derek’s wrists but didn’t try to pull away, just held him there. “I’m supposed to be the one freaking out. I think I saw one of your kidneys in Melissa’s hands.” 

Derek let out a long and slow breath and pressed his forehead to Stiles’ neck. He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. He could have done this, holding, touching,  _ anchoring _ but he was so stupid. He was such an idiot. Everything that Stiles presented about him was a lie, a mask to cover who he was because that was the only way he survived. 

It struck Derek like a bucket of cold water. 

“Come on, buddy. You have to use your words.” Stiles urged. 

“I thought you were sixteen, you asshole.” Derek finally got out. It was close enough to the truth for now.

Stiles pulled back and looked at him. “Are you serious right now?” 

“ _ Yes _ .” Derek hissed. 

Below them, they heard the laughter. 

Derek turned his head and reached for the door, but Stiles stopped him. Stiles studied Derek and he saw the moment that Stiles  _ understood _ and for some reason, without a gesture or a word or a signal of any kind, the laughter below stopped. Stiles snatched a razor from a shelf and slit his thumb and pressed it to a rune, the suppression one, and then turned back to Derek.

“It’s me and you, asshole.” Stiles said. “Whatever she is, isn’t here. It isn’t us.” 

“It’s still in me.” Derek whispered. He couldn’t help but feel like this was too much for him, that Stiles wasn’t underage, that he could actually be with Stiles without feeling like he was becoming Kate. 

“No. No it’s not. You are a good man.” Stiles insisted. “This is us, not her.” 

“I couldn’t- I didn’t want to force you like she did- I couldn’t do what she did-” Derek shook his head. 

“You aren’t. You aren’t anything like her. You are amazing and good and smart and I swear those kids at the school today are  _ alive _ because of you.” Stiles stroked his face and wiped the tears and shushed him. “A hundred and twenty three kids, Derek. Alive. And me. Right?” Stiles nudged Derek’s chin with his lips. Not a kiss, just a press. “Right?” He said again.

Derek didn’t have the words but he didn’t need them. Stiles felt the tension still in shoulders, in his torso and the way it shook him, made his teeth chatter and made him shift away when Stiles tried to look him in the eye.  

“There’s something else.” Stiles said and stroked Derek’s cheek with his fingertips. “What is it?” 

Derek let out a long breath. “Is this- us, the way I feel right now- Is it us? Is it real?” 

Derek watched the dawning realization in Stiles’ eyes, like he registered what Derek was really asking, like he knew the words that Derek spoke out loud. Stiles opened his mouth but no words came out for a second and that was Derek’s answer. 

“It’s ok.” Derek whispered. He nodded and swallowed hard. “I can- I want you.” 

That broke something in Stiles’ face and he backed off, leaving Derek bereft for a moment and then startlingly cold. 

“No.” Stiles said. 

Derek swallowed and nodded. He was ok. This wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to him this week. He reached for the door again. 

“Why are you so stupid?” Stiles asked, like he couldn’t believe the things he was seeing in front of him. Disbelief. 

Derek was turned away but he still flinched at the words. 

It wasn’t the worst thing that had happened this week  _ so far _ . 

Maybe the alpha would kill him. That would be the icing on his cake. 

“How can you have so little self worth?” Stiles asked. 

Derek laughed and the sound of it made him a little weak. “I have a list, somewhere. Probably in the car, if you’d like me to go get it.” 

“I lie because I have to. I  _ have  _ to. Lives depend on it. Mine, my dad’s, the Houses. I have to, you know that right?” Stiles put an unsteady hand on Derek’s back, right where the alpha clawed through him like he was butter and Derek couldn’t help but curl into the warmth of his touch. It’s the opposite of the alpha and Derek wants to claw through the door because if this is it, if this is all he gets, he’d rather have nothing at all. “But I’ve told  _ you _ the truth from the beginning. I’m sorry for assuming that you would know that I wasn’t sixteen and I’m sorry that you thought I was and that led you to feel-” Stiles sucked in a deep breath. “But the truth is, Derek, this happened once before. I started- I started having feelings for someone and I was pulled out. I didn’t get to say goodbye. I just left her and I know I hurt her and when I checked on her later, she was happy. She had a coven and she had moved on and but it hurt me still.”

Derek turned to look at him. 

“She was a good person, reminded me a little of you. She talked a little more, but don’t worry, I can talk enough for a dozen people, let alone you.” Stiles paused. “I just- I can’t do that again, you know? That’s why I had to leave. I had to get my head on straight. I had to figure out what I wanted and needed and I had to figure out what to do with the Knights.” 

“What are you saying?” Derek asked. 

“This could be us.” Stiles said and laid a hand on Derek’s chest. “We could have this. If- if that’s something-” 

He was cut off by a kiss. Derek pulled him forward and it was sweet and slow and steady and Stiles wanted to  _ cry _ because this was all Derek was and that’s all Derek wanted and Stiles would try- 

Derek pulled back and nodded. “Yes. Yeah, I think so.” 

“Ok. But, um, get out because we aren’t doing this in the bathroom.” 

Derek blinked and realized where they were. “Right.” He said. He kissed Stiles twice more before he opened the door and left. 

He came face to face with the Knights, Malia in the front of them, smelling like magic and ozone. 

“He’s good, but I was a born spellcaster.” Malia informed him. 

“You heard all of that?” Derek asked. 

“All of it, big boy.” Mason said. 

“We are trained killers.” Boyd informed him.

“We literally have a license to kill. We keep them in our duffel bags by our passports.” Isaac added. 

“And I am heir to the Argent line.” Allison said, coming up behind Derek. 

“My GPA is above a 5.0. I know things about chemicals that are… questionable.” Lydia said. 

“I own a lot of guns.” Argent added. 

“I’m a nurse. I can make it hurt.” Melissa said. 

“I don’t know what I can do.” Scott said and gave the Knights a grin that should have been sweet but was actually kind of alarming.

“This is all very disturbing and sweet,” Stiles said from behind Derek and Derek realized that he didn’t shut the door all the way, “But you all need to think about where we go from here.” 

“Let me back in.” Derek hissed and tried to push his way into the bathroom again.

“No, go out there and make them behave.” Stiles growled and pushed him out. 

“You go out there, you have guns and knives.” Derek said and tried to drag him out. 

“You were born with fangs and claws-” 

“I was just stabbed by an alpha-” 

“I just led a team into an elementary to rescue you-” 

“My insides were on the  _ outside _ -” Derek pushed a little more into the bathroom. 

“I saw your insides. I am covered in your blood-” Stiles said and pushed him out. He slammed the door and Derek had to turn and look at everyone else. 

Melissa rolled her eyes and waved everyone downstairs. She patted Derek’s cheek as she passed by and Scott hugged him, hard. 

“This is not what I signed up for.” Derek muttered as the hallway finally emptied. 

John came out of his room, wearing jeans and a soft looking sweatshirt. He looked like any middle aged father. “You mean you didn’t sign up to come back to avenge your family and end up finding a whole new one, part of which are professional assassins for the US government?” John asked. 

“Yeah.” Derek said and let out a slow breath. 

John nodded and approached Derek. He put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. “Life is funny like that.” He said.

Unexpectedly, John wrapped him up in a tight hug, and slowly Derek brought his arms up and did the same thing. 

“What are you doing?” Derek asked.

“I’m giving you a hug because you look like you need it.” He paused, “It’ll be ok, son.” John said. 

Of all the people in the world that Derek thought could destroy him, John Stilinski didn’t even make the list. But here he was and his own legs couldn’t hold him up and he was seeing spots. His heart pounded in his chest and his mouth went dry and he couldn’t draw in any air. Maybe it was John being there when everything crashed in on him; the loss of Laura, almost dying, being back in Beacon Hills, acknowledging this thing with Stiles, confronting Argent, seeing Kate again-

John couldn’t hold Derek up on his own and he slid to his knees with Derek in the hallway and Derek distantly registered the sound of steps coming up behind him but he didn’t possess the strength to turn around and see who it was. He was dizzy and he was nauseous, or at least he thought he was, he wasn’t entirely sure what it felt like. But then he was enveloped in warm arms and he knew it was Scott and then Stiles was there too, bare from the waist up. Melissa was running her fingers through his hair and shushing him and someone gripped his hands and he smelled Erica and Boyd and all the others nearby and the subvocal growls he had last heard when Laura was alive. They were grounding him, reassuring him,  _ staying _ with him. 

“Oh god.” Derek whispered. “What is happening?” 

“Panic attack.” Stiles whispered. 

“It’s surprising that it didn’t happen sooner.” John said, muffled under so many bodies. 

And there were. They were all there, burying Derek under their weight, and it should have been suffocating, but it was comforting. There were people here, people that were going toe to toe against his worst nightmare for him, and were ready to fight and kill for him. All they asked was that he do the same. 

It was easy to find the heart of their pack, if Derek listened hard enough. He could feel it beating in each of them, strong, true, clean of any stain, and sweet. 

The panic receded and Derek felt a stillness inside of him that he hadn’t known since the death of his parents. 

“There you go.” Malia whispered. 

“You found us.” Liam whispered. 

“We got you.” Isaac said. 

“Now you really are my best friend.” Erica said and sniffled.

One by one they stepped away and John and Stiles helped Derek stand. He looked at them all with new eyes and shook his head. “What’s going on?” He asked. 

Everyone looked at each other until John finally said, “We’ll figure that out after we take care of the Argents and the alpha.” 


	16. Chapter 16

“It’s like the quiet before the storm.” Stiles murmured.

“That’s exactly what it is.” Derek said.

They were laying side by side in Stiles’ full sized bed. Stiles’ shoulder was pressed against Derek’s very warm one and they both had their arms crossed against their own chests. They were staring up at the ceiling like it could offer them the answers of the next few days.

“Do you think it’s going to work?” Derek asked.

Stiles closed his eyes and thought about their plan. How it depended on too many variables. How, honestly, it was probably the stupidest thing that they had ever planned and even Boyd had strongly objected to it.

He raised an eyebrow. Stiles almost broke down at his protest. But Erica had interceded and patted Boyd’s hand. Boyd conceded.

“Yes.” Stiles said confidently and then deflated a little when Derek turned to look at him. “It should.” He paused. “I hope.” He added lamely.

Derek nodded. “What happens after?”

Stiles sighed. “I go back. I need to speak to the Director. There’s been talk of putting a permanent team here.” He shifted so that he was lying on his side facing Derek. “If there is, I want in.”

“You want in?” Derek whispered. “What about your team? Your dad?”

“Dad will do what he wants. If he wants to stay with me, he’ll stay. If the team wants to apply to stay, they’ll be considered alongside everyone else.” Stiles said.

“Will they want to? Beacon Hills isn’t exactly Istanbul.” Derek pointed out.

Stiles pressed forward and Derek met him halfway. The kiss was easy and sweet with just a bite of hunger at the edge.

“Istanbul is overrated but I will not apply if you two keep that shit up.” Liam said from the floor.

“It’s gross.” Mason added.

“Shut up. It’s time that Stiles had something for himself.” Isaac said.

Boyd stood up. “I’m going to go sleep in Erica’s room with the girls.”

“Hey, can you promise me something?” Stiles asked and even in the weak light, Derek could see Stiles’ eyes searching his own.  

“Yes.” Derek answered steadily.

“If I do get the post here, can you get a place with more than three bedrooms?” Stiles asked.

“I’ll soundproof every single room.” Derek promised and kissed him.

Liam stood. “I’m going to go sleep in Derek’s car.”

***

When Stiles woke up, everyone was gone. The house was back in order and even Melissa and Scott were gone. He stopped by the front door, ran his fingers on the runes there and scratched a few out and carved in a new one. In the kitchen, the Sheriff stood at the counter, a mug in his hands. He had his back to the window that looked out on the forest behind the house.

“Son.” He said and pushed himself off the counter.

“Hey, pops.” Stiles said and went to the pantry. He dug around for some cereal and finally came up empty handed. He sighed and found some bread and grabbed the jam. He toasted his bread and then sat at the table.

“So I got this just awhile ago.” John said and pushed an envelope at Stiles. It was from Beacon Hills High. “Want to explain why you are failing five of your seven classes?” His dad glared at him and Stiles blinked.

“I-”

“Look, kid. We all have jobs we have to do. This is yours.” He said and tapped the envelope. Stiles looked down and he clenched his fists.

“There’s been a lot going on-”

“You have the help. I know you do.” John put his cup down and rubbed his face. “Part of our deal is that you keep up your grades. You wanted to be a part of all this and you can’t even hold up your end of the bargain-”

Stiles stood up. “That’s not fair and you know it.”

“When has anything been fair?” John asked and searched Stiles’ face. “Everything can be so easy for you, kiddo, if you’d apply yourself.”

“Apply myself-” Stiles sputtered. “That’s all I do!”

“Really?” John said and picked up the envelope and threw it at him. “Because that certainly doesn’t fucking look like it.” He stormed out of the room. “Don’t make me send you back!” He yelled as he left the house.

Stiles gritted his teeth and turned away, grabbed his bag and went out to his Jeep. School started in twenty minutes.

When he pulled into a parking spot, the school was teeming with people. Ten minutes until the first bell rang and Stiles counted down the minutes like it was the only thing that made sense.

Stiles swung out of the car and he came face to face with Derek.

“Hey.” Stiles said and cleared his throat, tried not to remember waking up in an empty bed. It’s not like what they said meant much, did it? There wasn’t talk of an actual commitment-

“Hey.” Derek said and shifted uncomfortably.

“Where were you this morning?”

“I had some stuff to take care of at the house.” Derek said vaguely and Stiles could feel himself being lied to. Across the parking lot, Allison waved. Lydia stood next to her and waved too. Stiles waved back. Derek glanced over his shoulder, but Lydia and Allison were already turning away. Derek didn’t try to hide his disappointment when he turned back to Stiles. Derek took a step forward and Stiles was pressed between the Jeep and Derek. “Scott and I were talking-” He murmured.

“Were you?” Stiles asked and pushed Derek back a step. He didn’t like feeling closed in like that.

“I don’t think we should trust them.” Derek said.

Stiles raised his eyes to Derek’s. He couldn’t believe his ears. “What-?” Stiles shook his head and looked up. He took his glasses off, rubbed his eyes, put his glasses back on, took them off, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a slow breath. “What are you talking about? Yesterday those two were the only ones holding you up.”

Derek shuffled his feet and looked away. “That would be the fastest way to get to me, wouldn't it? To help me when no one else would.”  

Stiles studied him for a moment before he said, “Oh my god, you are serious. You are seriously this paranoid.”

“It’s not paranoia if it’s true.” Derek hissed.

Stiles took a step to the side and got himself out from between Derek and the Jeep. He shook his head. “Ok, you and Scott can hash this one out. Those girls haven’t been anything but good to me.”

Derek’s eyes flashed and then he shook his head. “Whatever. Do what, or whoever, you want.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Stiles demanded.

Derek rolled his eyes. “Like I haven’t seen you looking at Lydia.”

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but instead held up his hands. “You know what? Whatever. Do-” He gestured at Derek. “Whatever. If you aren’t going to take the help that is offered to you, then I have nothing else to say to you.”

Derek’s face shuttered and he nodded. “I should have known.” He remarked casually. “People, humans, don’t want anything to do with us.”

Stiles shrugged. “Take Scott with you. Run. Run away like the little puppy you are. Tail between your legs. It’s what you are good at. That and getting captured. You aren’t any help anyway.”

Derek snarled. “Keep Scott. He’s useless.” Then he pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them in the air. He caught them easily. “Well, you were an ok fuck at the very least.”

Before Stiles could say anything, Derek was striding across the parking lot to his car.

At the last second, as the entirety of the student body was heading into the school, Derek turned and yelled, “If you want another pity fuck, I’ll be at my place.” He grinned, slow and arrogant and put his aviators on.

Everyone turned to stare at Stiles.

“I hate this fucking town.” Stiles said and headed into his first class.

***

Scott didn’t get a chance to talk to Stiles until PE and even then, he didn’t really want to. Stiles smelled like rage, like something with too much pepper on it, left out in the sun. Scott approached their lockers slowly, like Stiles was the werewolf. He opened his locker and put his bag inside.

“Hey.” Scott said slowly. He had been across the parking lot that morning but he didn’t need werewolf hearing to catch what Derek had said.

 _Pity fuck_.

The words rang in Scott’s ears, so he could only imagine what it was doing to Stiles.

Stiles didn’t reply. He just pulled a shirt over his tank top and glared at his shoes while he laced them up.

“I’m sorry.” Scott muttered.

“For what?” Stiles snapped. “For talking to Derek behind my back? For making plans behind my back?” He stood up, put his shoulders back, and judged Scott’s own posture. “Anything else you want to tell me? Maybe something happened when I was gone this weekend?”

Scott flinched back like Stiles had struck him. “No- what? No, Stiles, that’s not it. But if you would listen to Derek-”

“That’s all I do is _listen_ to Derek.” Stiles hissed. The locker room had gone still around them. “I thought I was the only one listening to him, but it turns out you were there for him too, weren’t you Scotty boy?”

“That’s not what happened.” Scott protested weakly.

“Stay out of my way.” Stiles ordered him and pulled his bag out of his locker and over his shoulder. “Or I will break you.”

He left the locker room and Jackson looked from Scott to Stiles’ retreating back. He hurried after Stiles. Scott followed them from a distance and watched Stiles put his bag on the other side of the bench as the others crowded around him. Danny shot Scott a look that said that he was sorry before joining the others.  

***

Scott’s werewolf reflexes were the only thing that saved him from getting his neck broken that day at lacrosse practice. He wasn’t sure what Derek told Stiles, but Stiles was out for blood. Stiles had even recruited Jackson and some of the other guys and put them on Scott’s ass.

After practice, he didn’t even bother going back into the locker room. He grabbed his bag off the sidelines, took off his gear in the growing darkness and headed for Derek’s place. The woods were darker than the lacrosse field but it wasn’t a problem. Scott thought he heard something behind him but when he turned, the woods were just as empty as they should have been.

He was probably still shook up from the day before, the events of the day, being a werewolf, _life_.

Scott made it to Derek’s and he was there on the porch with Erica. Their bodies were angled at one another but they were facing Scott. It looked like he just interrupted a conversation.

Erica sneered at him.

“What do you want, Scott?” Derek asked, sounding bored.

“You have to fix this.” Scott said and put his bag down. “I don’t know what you did or what you said to Stiles, but you have to fix this.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this.” He muttered to Erica. She shrugged and inspected her nails. Derek jumped down the stairs and strode over to Scott. “Listen. I’m done with this town and all this bullshit. I’m done with all of this whiny, teenage bullshit. Me and Erica are leaving. After the utter clusterfuck of yesterday-” Derek stepped back spread his arms wide. “Fuck it. Fuck it all. I’m done.”

“Derek-” Scott started and there was a whining edge at his voice. He didn’t know how he was supposed to do anything without both Stiles and Derek.

“ _Derek_.” Derek mocked in a high pitched voice and rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Scott. This is it. This is all I have. Your stupid little girlfriend and her crazy fucking family can have this place.” He pulled his keys out of his jacket and looked over his shoulder at Erica. She grabbed a bag at her feet. “Ready?”

“Let’s go, sweet cheeks.” She said and made for Derek’s car, parked haphazardly in what might have been a lawn so long ago.  

“That’s it? What about- what about Laura?” Scott asked, like he was grasping for something.

“Laura had the right idea. We left.” Derek said and pinned Scott with a bright blue gaze. “She figured it out and took the fuck off. I should have stayed away.”

“Derek, you can’t leave-” Scott huffed and he realized he was on the verge of tears. He didn’t want to cry in front of these two but it felt like an inevitability. “Derek, please don’t leave me here alone.” He finished in a huff and looked down. He couldn’t help but think of his dad and the day he left.

“Oh, grow up.” Derek snapped. He jerked his head at the Camaro and Erica opened the door. She threw the bag in the backseat and climbed in. Derek gave Scott one last, long, calculating look. “You’ll learn to live with it or you’ll die.” He said. Then he shrugged. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

Scott watched as the Camaro’s headlights disappeared. He sat down next to his bag and put his head in his hands and finally let the tears fall.

“Sweetie, you couldn’t have expected anything more from him.” Kate said. She stepped out of the woods and Scott flinched back. He stood and backed away, heading for the house. He shook his head but any words he might have had for her dried up on his tongue. “Shhh,” She said and held a hand out, a move Scott himself used on skittish animals, “He was born like that. He doesn’t feel things like us. It’s not his fault. It’s like blaming a cat for being an asshole. That’s just the way they are.”

Scott’s heels hit the bottom stair and he fell on his butt. He scrambled to stand and shook his head. “No. That’s not who I am. That’s not how I feel things.”

Kate pouted and shook her head. The guys behind her fanned out into a semi-circle. There were a lot of them, more than Scott could count in a single glance. “No, but you weren’t born a wolf, were you? Some monster out in the woods bit you and here you are.”

“That’s not- that’s not Derek.” Scott said and shook his head. “I don’t know what happened or what’s going on with him and- and Stiles but that’s not him.”

“Oh, Bambi eyes?” Kate said. “He finally came to his senses, it seems like. He never had any intention of staying here. He’s going to find the alpha, kill it, and move on. I’ve seen his kind more times than I can count.” She shrugged and extended a hand. “Come with us. We have a cure.”

Scott’s heart rate ticked up at that. “A cure?” He whispered.

“Come with me.” Kate offered again. “We can cure you.” She reached for him and Scott would have felt safer with the Alpha’s claws in his throat. He backed up again.

“I don’t trust you.” Scott finally said.

The friendly smile faded from Kate’s face. “Get down here now, McCall.”

“No.” He whispered. He took another step back and into the Hale house. He shook his head and let the shadows envelope him until the only thing that was visible were his eyes, glowing gold. “I don’t think so.”

As soon as he was in the house, the door slammed shut and the device in the bag that Scott had picked up from the field exploded, taking out some of the men with Kate. Scott covered Allison when shards of wood blew inward and Isaac covered Lydia.

Malia peeked out a hole in one of the walls and gave Stiles the signal. Stiles signaled for the rest of the group to follow Boyd. Stiles signaled to Allison and Lydia to take upstairs and Scott to stay here, so that no one could sneak by them and head after the girls.

Boyd was the first out, then Stiles, followed by the rest of the group with the exception of Erica. Scott could hear the Knights trading shots and punches with the men that were left and then- then there was silence.

Scott took a step closer to the door and saw that the Knights were still and even Stiles looked a little confused. Scott opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Liam shot him a look that made him shut up, pretty quickly.

There were two quick steps behind Scott and that was the only warning he got. Suddenly, he was breathing in fire and he was being jerked back into the house and the door was slammed.

He saw glimpses of Kate with a machete above him, felt handcuffs tighten around his wrists, and then watched in helpless horror as she raised it high above her head. “If it’s not the other thing I can kill, you’ll have to do.” She said.


	17. Chapter 17

Derek jerked the wheel as hard as he could once he reached the designated spot and slammed on the brakes. As soon as the car stopped, he and Erica were running. She had her rifle slung around her shoulder and was already partially shifted. Derek pulled the half mask up over his nose and mouth and remembered the Sheriff’s last instructions:  _ “They fight dirty. They will always have wolfsbane or mistletoe. Keep this on.” _ A few moments later and they heard the explosion. 

“Guinevere, we are in position, what is your approach?” 

“North, northeast.” Erica said into her com. 

“Roger.” Boyd replied. 

They could hear the gunfire and the screams.

“Guinevere, you and Lucan approach with caution. We’ve lost sight of Morgana.” Stiles whispered. 

“Roger, Mischief.” Erica said as they slowed. She looked over at Derek and put a hand to her nose and eyes and ears. Derek nodded. She pointed to herself and the left side of the house and pointed at Derek and the right side of the house. Derek nodded but before they left, Erica took his hand and squeezed. She adjusted the face mask over his mouth and nose. He gave her a tight smile and they separated.

Derek stopped at the side entrance and felt a strange prickling on his neck, like he was being watched. He turned to look out at the woods, wondered if some of Kate’s men got away. But there was no one out there. 

As soon as he was inside the house, he heard the front door slam and Scott’s choked off scream. Distantly, he heard the sound of Boyd and Isaac trying to break down the door, but it was made of ash wood, Derek had replaced it the second day he was in Beacon Hills.  

Forgetting all of the team’s last minute instructions, all of the precautions, Derek tore through the house, and skidded to a stop when he saw Kate standing above Scott, a machete raised high in her hands. 

Laura’s body had been in two pieces when Derek found her. 

Derek charged, slammed into Kate, and through the wall on the other side of her, the rotting wood giving way. The front door opened just as the two of them crashed through the wall. Kate and Derek tumbled to a halt, with Kate on top of Derek. 

“Just like old times.” Kate muttered. She was bleeding from her mouth and her hair was a tangle behind her head and Derek saw the flash of the machete still in her hand but he felt like he did when he was fifteen; powerless, angry, helpless. 

“Kate!” Chris screamed from the house. “Drop it!” 

“Fuck off, Chris.” Kate snarled but didn’t move. “This one is mine.” 

“No, he’s not.” Stiles snarled from somewhere behind Kate. “Drop your weapon and slowly stand up.” 

“Poor choice of words, Bambi.” Kate said and Derek saw the determination in her eyes harden. 

Derek closed his eyes and he felt the spatter of blood and braced himself for the pain but when he opened his eyes, Kate was pulling at an arrow in her chest and then another appeared in her throat and Derek pushed her away, scrambled back and looked up. 

From the second storey, Laura’s room, Allison was lowering her crossbow. She had a cool, flat look on her face and she watched as her aunt gasped on air that wasn’t going to help anymore. 

Stiles turned and saw Allison in the window and turned back to Kate. “Shit.” He muttered, but there was a note of admiration there. He let out a breath. He looked to Derek and went over and pulled him to his feet. “You good?” He asked. 

Derek nodded.

The team came out of the house slowly and picked their way over the scatter of bodies until they reached Derek and Stiles. Isaac had one arm looped around Scott’s waist to help him over. His eyes were red and tear streaked his face and he was still coughing, but he looked ok. They had all backed away from Kate’s body, where she laid on her side, gasping for air. Chris looked torn; like she disgusted him but he wanted to comfort her.

In the end, he stayed where he was. 

Derek looked behind him when Allison and Lydia came out of the house. Lydia was holding Allison’s hand and Allison looked pale in the moonlight. Derek held his hand out to her and she took it. 

“I couldn’t-” Allison whispered and buried her face in his shoulder. “All I could think of was that when you were fifteen, she was-” She choked on her own words. “And your family. All of them, because of her. I had to stop her.” 

Derek rubbed her back and thought of Laura. He wondered if she would be as grateful and as impressed with Allison as he was. He would like to think so. 

“There are a lot of things that I never thought I’d see.” A voice called out from the woods. 

The Knights immediately brought their weapons up. Scott stumbled when Isaac let go of him, but Lydia caught him and put one of his arms over her shoulders. Stiles nudged Allison and Derek behind him. Isaac did the same thing to Lydia and Scott. Liam reached out and pulled Chris towards him. The Knights formed a tight circle around the five of them. 

“But a Hale comforting an Argent? That’s on the top of the list.” The voice’s mocking tone was familiar and made Derek ache in a way he only felt when he knew Laura was dead.  

The voice was familiar and Derek looked around, trying to spot whoever it was out in the woods. 

“Anyone have eyes on him?” Stiles asked. 

“I’ve got nothing.” Boyd whispered. 

“Me either.” Liam muttered. 

“Spells are bouncing off this guy like they’re nothing.” Malia added softly. 

“Oh, you’ve got nothin’ but I have somethin’.” The voice called out.

“Peter?” Derek said, more to himself. No. Peter was in the hospital. 

He had to be.


	18. Chapter 18

“Your uncle? The one in a coma?” Stiles hissed. 

“I think so?” Derek said.  

His first glimpse of Peter was obscured by the back of Liam’s head. He couldn’t see why the pack immediately tightened up, why they all immediately tensed, why they all practically stopped breathing.

“Drop them.” Stiles snapped. 

“And who are you all supposed to be?” Peter asked casually. “Is this like that show- hm.” 

Derek couldn’t see his hands and whatever, whoever, was in his hands was putting the entire team on edge. 

“21 Jump Street!” Peter said and pursed his lips. “Attractive members of society infiltrating a high school for law enforcement purposes.” 

“Put them down, step away, and I will kill you quickly.” Stiles said. “That is the best offer I can give you.” 

“And your friends here also holding the large guns, will they also back up your promise of homicide? They all seem so-” Peter grinned and shivered, “Militaristic.” 

“We will all help him kill you.” Mason promised. 

“Hopefully we can get him to change his mind on the  _ slow _ part, though.” Erica said. 

Peter stepped to the side and Derek saw who he had. The Sheriff was panting and on his knees and it looked like Peter had his claws in his arm. In his other arm, he held Melissa, who looked unconscious and limp. John was bloody, dirty, bruised, and panting. His uniform was torn and even though he looked to be in pain, he gave Stiles a tight smile.

“I found the alpha.” He said. 

“Merlin.” Stiles said and exhaled, long and slow. “I need you to not talk to me for the next few moments.” 

“Does that make you Arthur?” Peter asked Stiles. 

“No.” Isaac whispered. 

“Who is Arthur?” Peter asked. 

“We haven’t found him yet.” Boyd replied. 

Peter’s eyes widened and Derek saw it click. 

A pack, with no alpha, trained killers, perfect in every way. 

And they all stood right in front of him.

“Derek, come.” Peter ordered. 

“Give them back the Sheriff and Melissa.” Derek said. 

“What?” Isaac said. 

“No.” Erica growled. 

“I’ll give you the woman. The Sheriff? He stays. Resilient fellow. I think he’d be a good wolf.” Peter gave the Sheriff a light shake, sunk his claws in deeper and John lost what little color was in his face.

Derek closed his eyes. There was no way he’d survive the change. That’s why Peter picked Scott. Scott was still young enough to survive it.

He unsheathed his claws and took one step forward. “They won’t go without Stiles.” He told Peter. “They won’t follow anyone but Stiles.” 

In a split second, Derek had one arm around Stiles’ waist, his claws to his throat. Stiles went stiff in his arms and he tried to turn away but the claws stopped him. “Let the Sheriff go and Melissa. I’ll give you Scott and Stiles.” Derek bargained. 

The tables shifted too quickly. Liam, Mason, and Erica kept their guns on Peter and Isaac, Boyd, and Malia turned to face Derek and Stiles. 

“Put your gun down.” He told Stiles. 

Stiles growled but dropped it to the ground. 

“Scott, get your mom. Bring her to Chris.” 

Scott looked wildly between Derek and his mom but in the end, he did as he was told. Chris took Melissa’s limp body in his arms and set her on the ground. 

“Now the Sheriff.” He said to Scott.

Begrudgingly, Peter let the Sheriff go with Scott who helped him over to Chris and Lydia, who was bent over Melissa. Scott paused and put his hand on his mother’s cheek and kissed her forehead before looking to Derek. 

Derek had only seen that much hatred in a mirror. 

“Go.” He snapped and tilted his head to Peter.

Scott went.

“I hate you.” He ground out when he joined Peter.

“Join the club.” Derek remarked. He kept his back to Peter, walked Stiles towards the other two, made Stiles face his squad. 

“What are you doing?” Erica asked and her eyes were bright with tears. 

“Making a choice.” Derek said. 

“Don’t-” Liam started. “Don’t do this. We have orders!” 

“Will you take Stiles down with us?” Derek said and looked at Erica. “I don’t think so. You love him. He’s your alpha. You can’t raise a hand to him. You won’t.” 

“Derek.” Boyd started and his gun shook. “Don’t make us do this.” 

“No one makes you do anything.” Derek said. “It’s all a choice. If it’s him or me, I choose me.” Derek loosened his grip on Stiles and pressed his lips to the shell of Stiles’ ear. He closed his eyes and loosened his grip. “Every time, I’ll choose me.” He whispered. 

Derek knew that he was faster than the bitten wolves, guns or not. He jerked the bowie knife out of Stiles’ thigh holster, turned, and slashed. Peter roared and started to shift. Derek ducked, tackled Scott, and threw him out of the way. Peter grabbed Derek by the back of his shirt and lifted him. Derek clawed his way out of it, fell to the ground and rolled. Scott was there in an instant, guarding Derek’s back from Peter until Derek stood. 

Peter backhanded Scott fiercely and Derek would never forget the sound of Scott’s head hitting a tree and how he slowly crumpled to the ground.  

There were gunshots and arrows flying everywhere and they were only pissing Peter off. His roar shook the ground and Derek had to fight the instinct in him that said to cower. His back was bleeding but Peter had a long gash across his chest too. Peter charged at the team and Derek met him halfway, came at him from an angle that knocked him off balance. Peter tumbled and took Derek with him. There was another scuffle and Derek felt his leg break and a fire burning its way through his right leg and he knew Peter had clawed him open there. 

And suddenly, as Peter towered over him, it became so clear. 

Peter was the alpha.

Peter had killed Laura.

Peter had turned Scott. 

Peter had killed so innocent people.

The why of it was irrelevant. The fact remained, he was a killer, and Derek Hale was Talia Hale’s son. Talia Hale would no more suffer a rabid dog to live than to let Peter get away with what he had done.

Derek stood again, ready to throw himself back into the fray. But Peter was done with his interference. There was a crack from a tree and Peter knocked Derek to the ground and shoved a branch through his leg, effectively pinning him to the ground to make him watch him finish this all off. 

Peter roared again and the shifters were clearly fighting their own instinct to cower. Their movements were slower and this time, Derek was not able to knock Peter off course when he charged. He picked Malia up and threw her into a tree. She fell in a heap a few feet away from Derek. In one move too swift to counter, he slashed open wounds on Isaac, Boyd, and Mason. 

Chris had Melissa in his arms and Lydia and Allison were helping John to his feet and they were backing away onto the porch. Stiles had Liam standing next to him and they were both reloading. Liam’s hands shook and he looked wild as they took aim at Peter. Everyone else stood behind the two of them.

“Easy, Geraint.” Stiles muttered.

Liam’s movements smoothed out and he let out a long breath. He took aim. “ _ Nous tuons les meurtriers. _ ”

“That’s my boy.” Stiles said. 

They fired until they ran out. They dropped the guns when they were out and pulled out their secondary weapons. 

Derek could only watch on, helplessly pinned to the ground. He pulled at the branch but it was sunk too deep in the ground and he could feel himself getting weaker. He jumped when he felt a hand brush his and when he looked over he saw Malia had dragged herself over. When he looked around, he saw Isaac and Boyd were crawling over to him too. They were all still bleeding heavily. Isaac wrapped a hand around Derek’s mouth and Boyd and Malia jerked the wood out of his leg. 

He was only out for a couple of seconds and when he blinked, Boyd was pressing a glass cylinder in his hands. “Throw it at him.” He hissed. 

Malia pressed another bowie knife into his hands. She tapped the blade and he saw that it was inscribed with runes. He didn’t know what that meant, but it couldn’t be good. 

“You killed Laura.” Stiles hissed at Peter. 

Peter roared and the the others behind Stiles cowered. Derek stood up. He knew that Liam and Stiles saw him but they didn’t look directly at him. This could only work if Peter didn’t know Derek was back and able to fight.  

Stiles shook his gun at Peter. “It was you, wasn’t it?” He demanded. “It’s been you this entire time and you used the coma as a cover up.” 

Derek’s entire body felt like it was on the verge of collapse. His wounds weren’t closed and he was still bleeding sluggishly from his leg. He wanted nothing more than to sit down and just fucking  _ cry. _ He wanted to be done with this whole mess and Beacon Hills and this life more than anything else in the world. He wanted to give up. 

But Stiles and the last remaining member of his team were standing in front of innocent people who didn’t ask for this either. Maybe they had lost less than him, but loss like this wasn’t quantitative. Their childhood was gone, split open like a lamb for slaughter, without anyone even noticing, not even Derek. Derek, who should have been an expert on lost childhoods, hadn’t even batted an eyelash when Scott, Allison, and Lydia had been dragged into this mess of fire and blood and dead bodies. 

In front of the burnt remains of his childhood home that had seen more than enough blood spilt for five lifetimes, he had this one last chance for peace, retribution, maybe even redemption. He was Talia and Joseph Hale’s son, Laura Hale’s little brother, the last of the Hales (the sane one, anyway) and if he did anything to honor his family, he could save the last of the innocent ones here.

Whatever the cost was. 

Derek gritted his teeth, straightened his back, and made for Peter as quietly as possible. 

“Look at me, you fucking bastard!” Liam screamed and whatever control he had, he was swiftly losing. But it covered Derek’s movements, so he couldn’t fault the kid. “You did this! You are responsible for all of this!” 

Peter chuckled and shook his massive head from side to side. 

Liam shot. 

Stiles did too and it was probably Derek’s last chance. He sprang, raised the knife as he did, and sank it into the back of Peter’s neck as he did. Peter roared again, but there was an undertone of the man beneath, a scream of rage and betrayal. He was still able to reach around and haul Derek off of him, throw him off, but it lacked the strength that his earlier strikes had. 

Derek fell to his feet and looked up at him. “Go to hell.” He whispered. 

He threw the small vial at Peter’s face, now in his beta form. It broke open and ignited on his chest. 

There was definitely more human in his scream now. Derek hated himself more than ever. 

The others backed away, scared of Peter’s claws and his desperate flailing. Derek scrambled back too, scared of the way he was thrashing. Lydia fell away from the group and Derek saw her double over in pain and he could smell the blood from where he was. John fell and Stiles was at his side. Liam stood between the others and Peter, barely dodging the claws. 

“Derek!” Lydia screamed and had to push herself away from Peter.

_ “Derek!”  _ It was an echo of Laura and Derek could only guess where it was coming from. It was her voice that pushed him to his feet, that made him shift, tackle Peter to the ground away from Lydia and slash his throat wide open. 

When he met Peter’s eyes, Derek was shaken to see that there wasn’t any hurt or betrayal in his eyes. 

There was only relief. 

Derek stumbled away, looked from his blood soaked hand to Stiles who was watching him with steady eyes. 

It was a warmth that started in his chest but it gave way to a raging fire that was splitting him down the middle. The strength in his entire body was heady and Derek had to close his eyes against it. 

Then it  _ hurt _ . 

Derek fell on his back and screamed. It was a thousand nails under his skin, echoing the beat of his heart and nothing could have prepared him for this. It was in the air and the ground beneath him, it was the trees above him and the people around him. It was his dead family’s voices, surrounding, urging him on. 

_ Roar _ . 

So Derek did. 

It terrified even him and when it tapered off, he was on his back, looking up at the sky. 

“That sucked.” Derek said out loud and flinched at the sound of his own voice. 

“Yeah, but, I mean, you look good.” Stiles said calmly.

Derek looked down and sure , all the wounds on his body were closed, whatever blood loss had been making his head pound and his heart beat wildly was replaced, and the bruises were gone.

“Hey, uh-” Isaac started from where he sat, leaning against Boyd. “Do you think we should call this in?” 

“Yeah.” Stiles said and collapsed to the ground. “We definitely should.” 

“I’m going to need a minute.” John said from his place on the ground. 

“It turned out better than I thought, honestly.” Erica remarked as she began to crawl towards Lydia. “I thought we were all going to die.” 

“Me too.” Liam said and helped Chris lay Melissa out, who was finally beginning to stir. Stiles pulled a phone out of one his pockets and laid himself down gingerly. 

“Hey, we’re going to need a clean up crew at the Hale house.” He was on his back too and he was looking up at the sky. “I don’t know how many.” Stiles said irritably. “I’m not going to count, no. Just bring like- I don’t know, twenty body bags.” 

“Thirty.” Mason advised. 

“Thirty. Bring thirty.” Stiles corrected and hung up. His phone began to ring almost immediately and he sat up and hurled it out into the woods and they all heard it break. 

“You ok?” Boyd asked Derek softly from somewhere near his head.

Derek nodded. 

“You sure?” 

Derek nodded again. He felt numb, overwhelmed by everything that just happened. He thought that if he moved, he might break apart and fly into pieces. 

“I’m the alpha now.” He said dully. 

“That you are, my friend.” Erica said and offered him a hand up. “That you are.”


	19. Chapter 19

Derek had never been in a helicopter before. And now here he was, flying away from Beacon Hills, Stiles pressed against his side, snoring, and Erica clutching his hand as a nurse in scrubs applied something smelly to her wounds. He had on a loose gray shirt that someone had shoved at him and Malia was stroking Isaac’s curls away from his face. He had his head in her lap and was dozing.  

They flew for a couple of hours before they landed on a tarmac and were ushered into a white trailer, the kind Derek had only seen in disaster movies. Lydia was taken in first, the most wounded of them all, followed by Boyd, Isaac, Malia, and Erica and everyone else kind of stumbled in after them. More doctors and nurses than Derek could count descended on Lydia, ushered her into the back and Derek started after her before he realized where he was going.

A man fell into line with him and Derek recognized him as a deputy from the Sheriff’s department. He wondered how many agents were actually in Beacon Hills. “I know you want to go in there, but you can’t. They are taking her into surgery.”

“Here?” Derek asked and had to stop himself.

“HQ sends out emergency stations like this that are fully staffed and equipped.” The guy said and he must have caught the look in Derek’s eye. “Hey, look, I know you are the alpha and she is only a tiny, breakable human, but you can’t go in there right now and the others need you too. Ok? Go to them and the second it sounds like there might be a change, or she’s waking up, anything, I’ll call you.” The guy pressed a walkie into his hands.

“Who are you?” Derek asked.

“Jordan Parrish. Resident hellhound.” Jordan laughed at Derek’s expression. “Go. I’ll stay with her.”

Derek turned and was almost immediately intercepted by an eager looking young woman. “Alpha Hale, if you would follow me, please.” She said and turned. He didn’t have a choice and followed her. She pushed him into a shower and Derek stood there, watched all the dirt and grime and blood run down the drain.

He was only given a pair of black briefs and was led out into another room where everyone was standing or sitting and they were all eating. Allison’s eyes tracked Derek’s body and Scott stared for a moment too long too before Melissa smacked Scott and Chris nudged Allison.

Derek sat and took a sandwich from someone.

An older woman with steel gray hair and brown eyes entered the room and went straight to the Sheriff and Stiles. She was clearly in charge, if the posture everyone in the room indicated anything at all. Even the injured ones stood when she came into the room. She hugged John and smoothed Stiles’ hair from his face. She kissed his forehead before moving onto Isaac. She took his hand that was bandaged and fussed over him for a moment and then went to Boyd. She cradled his face in her hands and he bowed his head and for a moment, Derek saw the little boy that he used to be.

The woman went to Malia and Erica, whispered to them and Derek heard her call them both her “precious girls”. Derek wanted to snort, thinking about how they were both ruthless killers until he saw the look they both gave the woman. The adoration and love was clear in their eyes.

She went to Mason and Liam and said something that made them both duck their heads and smile.

Then she turned to the others.

They were all sitting in a circular sort of tent and there was a clear differentiation between the two groups. When she took a step towards them, Derek stood and shoved his sandwich at Scott.

The woman regarded him for a long moment.

“Is there a reason you have no clothes on, Alpha Hale, or did you just want to show off?” She asked finally.

“They took my clothes and put me in the shower, gave me these, brought me here.” Derek said.

“Finstock.” Erica and Liam muttered.

The woman looked at someone off to Derek’s side and tipped her head. A moment later, there were black pants in his hands and a tank top.

“I think it would be in your best interest to remain here, to train with the squad, until you have full control over your new alpha senses.” She said.

“Is that an order?” Derek asked, bristling.

The Knights shifted uneasily behind the woman but she only smiled at Derek. “Take it as you will. I am going to recommend young McCall stay here as well. I would also like to keep the Argents and Ms. Martin cannot be moved until she is physically able to.”

“No.” Derek said and shook his head. “Out of the question.”

The woman raised her eyebrows. “You realize who I am?”

“Sure.” Derek shrugged. “But you aren’t taking anymore of Scott’s choices away. He was turned against his will and you are taking even more of that away. It makes you no better than Kate.” Derek didn’t flinch from the magic he felt pouring off the woman. “You can’t hold the Argents. They helped your squad. They didn’t do anything wrong, especially Allison. Lydia-” Derek sighed. “I’ll stay with Lydia.” He finally said.

“This was not up for negotiation.” The Director said.

“No. It really wasn’t.” Derek tilted the corner of his mouth up.

“You have to realize how ill advised it is to set a young beta loose on a town like Beacon Hills, right? Especially alone. He lacks control.” The Director pointed out.

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Derek said and Stiles fist pumped. “Fine. He comes here on weekends and breaks but doesn’t go anywhere without Melissa. He needs to finish high school.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere without you.” Scott whispered.

“We’ll talk about it later.” Derek whispered back out of the side of his mouth.

“And the Argents?” The Director prompted. Derek seemed to be amusing her for some reason.

“I’ll stay.” Chris said and when Derek looked at him, he was slowly standing. “Someone has to answer for what they did.”

“Unacceptable.” The Director said. “Gerard is out there and I don’t want him knowing how much the Houses know. If you are taken in, that would be unavoidable.”

“I’ll come. With Scott.” Allison said and looked up from where she was standing. “I’d like to learn how to handle situations like that. I’d like to-” She gestured and her eyes were filled with tears. “I’d like to do better than my family has so far.”

The Director looked down at her and let out a breath. “Hale stays. Ms. Martin can go as soon as she is able to travel. Argent, I will have so many tabs on you, Google will be envious. Young McCall, Mrs. McCall, and Ms. Argent will be here as school allows.” She turned to Derek. “Is that acceptable?”

Derek nodded. “Yeah.” He muttered.

The Director was silent for a moment before nodding. “Pack it in, everyone. Let’s go home.”

“Home?” Scott asked and he looked so hopeful that even the Director wasn’t immune. She patted his cheek affectionately and smiled.

“The deal is effective immediately. It’s Friday and only nine o’clock. Let’s get started.”

“Oh.” Allison said in a small voice.

It was a whirlwind of activity, mostly surrounding Lydia, and then they were gone once again, this time on a private, medical jet.

“Where are we going?” Scott asked Isaac.

“Ugh, hopefully to the Colorado branch.” He said but shrugged.

“Why Colorado?” Scott asked.

“It’s my favorite.” Isaac said.

Derek found himself going down the aisle, checking on each of them, smoothing Allison’s hair out of her eyes, squeezing Scott’s shoulder, clasping Chris’ shoulder. He stopped by Lydia and sat down. She was pale and her eyes were closed but she wasn’t in pain and her heartbeat was strong.

After a moment she opened her eyes. “Can I still wear a bikini?” She whispered.

“I think if anyone wanted to say something, there’s a dozen people that would kill them.” Derek whispered back. He looked over his shoulder at Erica and Malia peering over their seats and watching them. As one, they nodded before turning and sitting back down.

“Am I going to turn?” She asked.

Derek smoothed her hair from her face and smiled. “Too soon to tell.” He said honestly. He kissed her temple and said, “But if you are, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

She closed her eyes. “I always wanted a big brother.”

And then she was asleep.

***

The Colorado branch looked more like a very large, ultra modern house. They had acres and acres of land that were available for use and the minute they stepped in, they were set upon by dozens of people.

Two kids, probably twelve years old, grabbed Derek’s hand and tugged him towards a hall. He was too confused to put up much of a fight and when he looked over his shoulder he saw Scott and Melissa and Chris and Allison suffering a similar fate.

Scott seemed to be the only one enjoying himself.

“So, this is your room.” One kid was saying. They opened a door and stepped into a combined kitchen/living room area. On the opposite side was a large window but the curtains were closed so he wasn’t sure what was beyond it. There were two empty bookcases flanking the window and a large chair. There was another room and when Derek opened that room he saw that it was his bedroom. It was large, with a huge bed, dresser and nightstand. There was a tv and a bathroom attached and a walk in closet. “Alphas get bigger rooms than the rest of us.” He told Derek in a hushed voice.

“You have to go to the tailor to get your clothes.” The girl told him.

“Some branches like to keep the different species separate when they sleep, but not here.” The boy said. “Emily is my best friend and she’s a vampire.”

“Brian is my best friend and he’s fae.” Emily informed Derek.

“Oh.” Derek said in faint voice. They pulled him out of the room and down another hall.

“This is where they do meetings. School is over there.” Emily said and pointed. Scott was in a room with his mom, talking to someone. He waved at Derek. Derek waved back. “And this is where a lot of the practice takes place.” She said and pulled him down another hall.

It was a large room that backed onto a humongous room, one that had to have taken up miles. “What kind of practice?” Derek asked, peering through the glass.

“All of them. Shooting, fighting, wolfing, vamping, fae-ing,-” Brian nodded. “All of them. If Stiles is here, this is where you want to watch because that’s when it all happens at once. You have to get here early to get a good seat though.”

Emily nodded. “Your pack will practice in there too, I bet.”

“Pack?” Derek said.

“Offices are down here.” Emily said and tugged him down a set of stairs. They passed a dozen doors and they spotted a young woman, probably Scott’s age, in front of a door. “Jessa!” Brian called and waved wildly. Jessa gave a distracted smile to acknowledge them but didn’t look up.

When they approached, Derek saw why.

She was carving something into the glass with some kind of magic.

_Alpha Derek J. Hale, Southwest Division_

Below that was the start of the triskele. She wasn’t quite done but Derek could recognize it.

Jessa paused and looked to Derek. “How’s it look?”

“I-” Derek swallowed. He wished his father could see this. “Good. Thank you.”

The three of them regarded Derek for a moment and Jessa tipped her head. “Go on, guys.”

“Right.” Brian said and pulled Derek down the hall and up another set of stairs.

“Medical.” Emily explained and pulled him away from a desk and down a different hall. “Lydia is over here.” She said and pointed to a door.

Derek pushed it open and saw Lydia in a large bed, propped up by a half dozen pillows, a nurse hooking up her IV to a new bag of fluids. Her large window looked out on the forest that was blanketed in snow. She was still pale but she looked a little better, a little more awake. Her hospital room looked more like a hotel room.  

“Hey.” Derek said.

“Hi.” Lydia said.

“Our dinner menu.” The nurse murmured and handed Lydia a menu and stood by with a piece of paper. She ordered soup before handing the menu back. “Will you be eating here, sir?” She asked Derek.

Derek looked to Lydia who nodded. “Yeah, uh, yes please.” Derek said.

The nurse smiled. “Will you take the squad’s usual?” She asked.

“Sure?” Derek said.

She scribbled something down and nodded. “Come on, you two.” She said, and tried to shoo Emily and Brian out of the room.

“Hey, Em?” Derek called.

Both Emily and Brian reappeared so quickly Derek had to restrain his laughter.

“If you see the McCalls or the Argents, can you tell them where we are?” Derek asked.

“Will do!” They both said before the nurse came back and dragged them both from the room.

Derek sat down and put his chin on Lydia’s bed. He looked up at her and she put her hand on his head but she looked out the window. “Everything’s so… different.” She said after a moment.

“How do you feel?”

She smiled and looked down at him. “I’m fine. Still processing everything else though.”

“As soon as you are able, they will take you home.” Derek said.

“Will you be there?” Lydia asked.

Derek hesitated. They hadn’t spoken about if or when Derek would leave. “No. At least not right away.” The door opened and Melissa, Chris, Allison, and Scott walked in. “I’m hoping that I get to leave at some point, though.”

Allison and Scott pulled up chairs to the other side of Lydia’s bed. Scott picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“But what if we need you and you aren’t there?” Lydia whispered.

Derek didn’t have an answer.

***

After dinner, Derek went back to his room, after figuring out where everyone else was staying. The Argents and McCalls both had something like suites with a bedroom each and Derek walked the length of both their suites before telling them goodnight and leaving.

He found his way back to his room through a maze of halls and pushed the door open. He wondered why he hadn’t seen any of the Knights since they landed. He couldn’t help but notice that the triskele had been etched into his door since he had been in their first.

In the living room, Stiles was laid out on the couch, feet propped up on the arm rest. Derek paused because he couldn’t tell if he was asleep.

But he sat up and looked at Derek. There was a brown package in his hand and he looked freshly showered. His hair was still damp.

“Hey.” Derek said.

“Hi.” Stiles said. “I didn’t see you at dinner.”

“We ate with Lydia.” Derek said and closed the door behind him.

“I figured.” He said and nodded. He was chewing on his lower lip and looked uncertain. “I hope you don’t feel like you are prisoner here. I know the Director kind of made you come here but if you want to leave-”

Derek strode into the room and sat down. “No. I know that if I had insisted, she would have let me go home. I can…” Derek paused, considered his words, “I can see the value in staying here. I need a place where I can figure this out. Laura was taught from birth. I was too busy running in the woods to learn all the alpha stuff. I didn’t care.” He gave Stiles a sad smile. “It wasn’t supposed to be me.”  

Stiles nodded and Derek sat. Stiles gave him the plainly wrapped package and Derek raised an eyebrow but opened it anyway.

It was a framed picture of the Hale family; Derek, Laura, Cora, and their parents. They were all out in front of the old house, on a blanket, smiling wide for the camera. Derek couldn’t remember who took the picture but he remembered that day. Golden and perfect, right before the fire.

“Where did you-?”

“The Director tries to keep updated pictures on all the magical creatures out there. What happened to your family has happened too many times. Sometimes, this is all that we have left.”

Derek nodded and stood. He put the picture on an empty bookshelf and stepped back. He needed other things, other memories to put up next to it, but it was a good start.

He turned and looked to Stiles. “I’m going to shower.” He said.

“Oh.” Stiles said and nodded. He stood. “Sure.”

“You pick out a movie and find ice cream from somewhere.”

The relief was clear on Stiles’ face. “I can do that.” He said and nodded.

Derek took the fastest shower of his entire life and when he realized, midway through, that he didn’t bring any clothes with him, he froze. He didn’t move until the soap dripped into his eye. When he got out, he went to the closet and hoped against hope that there would be something in there.

God, for once, was on his side. There were shirts in the closet and jeans and pajama pants in the dresser. There was no underwear, which gave Derek a moment’s pause but he just shook it off and pulled the clothes on.

***

When Stiles heard the shower turn on, he jumped into action. He downloaded a movie app, chose a James Bond movie at random, and left the room, running at top speed.

He crashed into Isaac, jumped up, and continued on.

“What-” Isaac started.

But Stiles was already gone.

In the kitchen, he threw open a freezer only to find frozen beef. The next one had chicken, the one after that had something he couldn’t identify right away and the one after that had still more beef.

When he turned around, Malia and Erica were staring at him, a cupcake each in their hands, eyes wide.

“Stiles?” Erica said.

“He said to get ice cream. Where is the ice cream? _Ice cream is our thing_.” He hissed.

“Oh, oh _shit_.” Malia said, understanding dawning in her eyes. Erica was already opening other freezers.

After five minutes of desperate searching, Malia found the ice cream, Erica pushed him out the door with three tubs and a handful of condoms and Stiles was running, once more. This time he crashed into Scott and Boyd and barely apologized before he was off again.

He skidded to a stop in front of Derek’s room, wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt and took a deep breath. He patted down his hair and opened the door.

Stiles could hear Derek opening and closing drawers in his room and he put the ice cream in the freezer-

Where there was already a half dozen other pint sized ice cream containers.

Stiles closed the door and shook his head and banged his head against the freezer.

“You ok?” Derek asked, just over his shoulder.

“Your creepy werewolf stalker tendencies seem to have grown exponentially since you became an alpha.” Stiles said.

“Hey, you’re the super secret agent spy dude.” Derek said and opened the fridge by reaching around him. He picked through the ice cream and pulled out Karmel Sutra. Stiles rolled his eyes. “I thought you would have heard me coming from a mile away.”

Stiles pulled out Truffle Kerfuffle and turned. Derek was already eating his.

“Hungry?” Stiles asked.

Derek gave him a spoon.

“Starving. I shouldn’t be, because I had the squad’s usual.” Derek shook his head. “Which I wasn’t prepared for, by the way.”

“But you ate the entire thing anyway, didn’t you?” Stiles said and made his way over to the couch.

Derek thought of the slab of meat, the three potatoes, the garden of vegetables, the _pie_ , and shook his head. “Yeah. I did.” He said and sat down next to Stiles.

Stiles turned to him and raised his eyebrow.

“What?” Derek said, around a mouthful of ice cream. Then he looked down. He was pressed along Stiles’ side, even his ankle was next to Stiles’ on the coffee table. “Oh.” He said.

“You’re lucky I like you.” Stiles said and picked up the remote. He pressed play and Daniel Craig waltzed along the top of a train. “And I am used to a complete and utter lack of personal space.”

“I can tell.” Derek said and nodded. When Stiles looked into his container it was mostly gone.

“How can you tell?” Stiles asked.

Derek leaned forward and put his empty container on the coffee table. He took Stiles’ as well even though Stiles only had a couple of bites of his. Derek spread Stiles’ fingers wide and raised his hand to Derek’s cheek. “I can smell Isaac here.” He said and kissed his palm. “And Malia here.” He looked up at Stiles and placed a kiss against his wrist. “And Scott here.” He said and buried his face in Stiles’ neck. He gently pushed him so that Stiles was laying on his back and looking up at Derek.

“Oh.” Stiles said in a small voice.

In theory, he knew that alphas were more powerful than most other creatures that he had met but it was a whole other thing to feel it on top of him and in between his legs. And it was something entirely different when Derek licked his neck.

“You smell like them all, everywhere.” Derek whispered before gently biting his earlobe. Stiles arched into his touch and grasped at him, pulled Derek’s hips down and expertly rolled his own up.

There was a low rumble from Derek and he put a hand on Stiles’ chest, pinned him to the couch.

Stiles let him but looked up at him anyway.

“I only get one chance at seducing you the first time. I want that.” Derek said.

Stiles, at a loss nodded, but didn’t move his hands from Derek’s hips. “Whatever you want.” He finally managed. He didn’t know why he was choked up all of a sudden.

Derek swept his nose along Stiles’ chin. “I can feel your magic.” He whispered. “It’s strongest here.” He pressed a kiss to the hollow of Stiles’ throat. “It’s pulling me, like I’m the ocean and you’re the moon. ” He kissed that spot again, over and over and Stiles felt it, like the sun breaking through the clouds for the first time after a long and cold winter. “You pull me.”

Derek tore his shirt off and Stiles would have normally protested, but the feel of Derek’s hands on his bare skin made him arch into his touch again. Stiles pushed at Derek’s shirt until Derek pulled it off and then there was bare skin against his and everything was so hot that Stiles moaned and shivered. “Fuck me, oh my god.” Stiles managed as he felt Derek’s skin under his hands.

“I will. But you can call me Derek.” Derek said. Then he paused. “Or alpha. That’s ok too.”

“You arrogant bastard.” Stiles replied.

Derek nodded. “Bed?” He asked.

“Yes, please.” Stiles said. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and Derek met him halfway, kissed him, nipped at his lips, soothed it over with his tongue.

“My, what big teeth you have.” Stiles said. He was trying not to laugh.

Derek’s hold on his tightened and he was up in the air, Derek easily carrying him into the bedroom. Stiles expected nothing less, wrapped his legs around Derek’s waist.

“You’re going to pay for that.” Derek replied evenly.

“You haven’t been issued handcuffs yet.”

“I’ll make you lie down.”

“And take it?” Stiles asked and slid a hand between them, rubbed Derek’s dick between them.

Derek pulled back. “Maybe I’ll take it. Don’t be so narrow minded.”

 _Oh_.

Then Stiles was on the bed and Derek was pulling his jeans off. The condoms and lube fell out of his pocket and Derek held them up. “Thank god for Reyes.” He muttered and put them on the bedside table. Stiles’ boxers were the next thing to go and before Stiles could complain about Derek not being naked, Derek had his mouth on Stiles’ cock and it took all his self control not to jerk up into his mouth.

Derek’s mouth was a sin and when he looked up at Stiles, Stiles groaned. “Don’t look at me like that, you beautiful asshole.” Stiles muttered.

There was a click of a bottle and then Derek’s warm and wet fingers on his ass.

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” Stiles muttered.

“I told you, you can just call me Derek.” He paused. “Or alpha.”

When Stiles dared to look down, Derek was looking up at him with an arrogant smirk. “I don’t like you.” He told Derek gently.

“I have definitive proof otherwise.” Derek said and licked Stiles dick.

Stiles reached down and ran his fingers through Derek’s hair and it was softer than he thought possible. Derek slowed down, took his time, and Stiles felt like he was being mapped out, like his every move was being stored away for later use. Frankly, Stiles was beginning to feel like he had never had sex before, like no one had touched him in this way and he thought that maybe he was onto something. That maybe no one had touched him like _this_ because no one had known him like this and cared for him like this.

He wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t always brave and good and true and kind. Stiles knew that he was cruel, that he was too single minded when it came to the job, that he could be selfish and there was a deep well of rage inside of him that no one could ever cure him of.

But underneath Derek’s hands, right here with him, he knew that although it mattered, it wasn’t just that. It was him and Derek, it was all the ways they had become tangled up in each other. And Derek accepted that he wasn’t perfect and Stiles knew that Derek wasn’t either. God knew that Derek was damaged and fatigued in a way that few people would probably ever know. They couldn’t fix each other either, but that was ok too.

“I like you not perfect.” Derek whispered when he took his mouth off Stiles.

“I didn’t realize I was saying that out loud.” Stiles muttered.

Derek kissed his thigh and laughed. Stiles thought it was a good look on him. Derek lifted his thigh and put it over his shoulder. He kissed his upper thigh and it felt like an afterglow even though they had barely gotten to the good stuff. “Did I break you already?” Derek asked. He nuzzled the soft skin just behind Stiles balls. “I had so much planned.”

Stiles had almost forgotten about Derek’s finger until he added another one and it was glorious pressure and a sweetness that shouldn’t exist on this planet.

“What did you have planned?” Stiles asked and laced their fingers together.

Derek continued to kiss his thighs, mouthed at his balls, and then lifted Stiles’ other thigh over his shoulder. Stiles felt like he was being watched intently as Derek continued to finger and stretch him. “I want to write my name on you.” He whispered and Stiles drew his eyebrows together in confusion, opened his mouth, but was cut off when he felt Derek’s fingers fall away only to be replaced by his tongue.

“Ah!” Stiles cried out and he forgot what he was going to ask.

A second later, Derek pulled away. “D.” He said and dove back in. A second later, Stiles felt him whisper, “E.” By the time he got to K, Stiles was a shaking mess underneath him.

“Please, please, Derek, please.” Stiles begged.

Derek pulled away long enough to grab for a condom and put it on and then he was sliding into Stiles and the stretch was too much, and it _hurt_ but it was the kind of hurt that was wrapped in delicate layers of pleasure, in the warmth of Derek’s body, in his fingertips brushing away the tears on Stiles’ cheeks.

“Stop?” Derek asked.

“No, it’s not-” Stiles shook his head and rolled his hips, “It’s good, it’s just a lot.” Derek smirked. Stiles laughed. “That too, but you. You are a lot. I- I like that.”

Derek buried his face in Stiles’ neck and Stiles couldn’t help but shiver at the helplessness of the gesture. His thrusts were gentle, measured, and not enough.

“Sit up.” Stiles whispered.

Derek must have been a mind reader or was on the verge of losing self control too. He hauled Stiles up as he sat back on his feet and that first rough push caused them both to gasp and made Stiles clench down. He let his head fall back. “Derek.” He muttered. “Like that.”

And that was all the direction he needed and Derek was pushing into Stiles rough and hard, his name half growled and half gasped, Derek’s hands tight on his hips.

Stiles had never felt so completely owned in all his life, like he belonged to someone else finally, _finally_ , this was the piece he had been looking for and when Derek came inside of him and held him close, nuzzled him and turned them both over, so that Stiles was on top, it was something of a dazed revelation.

That and-

“Are you still hard?” Stiles gasped and ground his hips against Derek.

Derek appeared slightly concerned but not altogether put out. “It appears that way.” He said with a shrug.

“Does this happen often?” Stiles asked.

“Not ever before.” Derek replied and put an arm behind his head and watched Stiles. He stroked Stiles’ hip with his free hand.

“Does it hurt?” Stiles asked and rolled his hips experimentally. Derek had a bigger dick than most, if not all, the guys he had been with.

“No.” Derek murmured. “Kind of the opposite, really.”  

“Oh thank god.” Stiles muttered and put his hands on Derek’s chest and began to raise himself up and down at a punishing pace, while Derek watched him. It added a different layer to the experience, like he was putting on a show for Derek in the most intimate way possible, like Derek was letting himself be used just for Stiles’ pleasure.

Stiles found the perfect angle and dug his nails into Derek’s skin. Derek’s eyes flashed red and Stiles met his gaze and then Derek was reaching for him and it was only a half dozen strokes later and they were both coming, even as Derek worked them both through it.

Stiles fell forward on Derek’s chest and they were still.

“Can a person die from sex?” Stiles asked.

“Not unless you are a having sex with a succubus.” Derek answered. He sounded out of breath and tired.

“Are you a succubus?” Stiles asked.

“No.” Derek paused. “Are you?”

“No. I don’t think so. I don’t know. I think I lost brain cells.” Stiles confessed.

“Me too.” Derek said.

“Can we do that again?”

“Give me like-” Derek paused. “Actually, yes. We can.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

***

They got around to showering and changing the sheets eventually, even though the shower devolved into more stroking and then blow jobs than anything else. They fell into the clean bed and held hands loosely. Stiles looked over at him and couldn’t tear his eyes away but it was more than just the way he looked. It was his fearlessness and bravery, and how he let little kids take him on a tour of HQ, or how he had started to try, how he was finally fighting, and now he looked more awake than Stiles had ever seen him.

He was beautiful, Stiles thought.   

“Shit.” Stiles muttered.

“What?” Derek asked and looked over at him. They were both naked and they were still too warm to pull the blankets over them.

Stiles faced him and sighed. “We’re in love, aren’t we?”

Derek sighed too and looked sorrowful. He stroked Stiles’ face with his free hand. “If it helps, I didn’t mean to.”

“Well.” Stiles caught Derek’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “Honestly, I didn’t mean to either.”

“Is this going to mess everything up?” Derek asked. “With the squad and everything?”

“No.” Stiles smiled. “This was how my parents met, remember?”

Derek laughed softly. “Yeah. I remember.”

Spread out across the bed, they fell asleep.

***

Stiles woke up, shivering and cold. When he turned over and looked at Derek, he was still fast asleep, on his stomach. Stiles looked down at the blankets at the foot of their bed and then over at Derek, his tan skin velvety looking and inviting. He eyed his broad shoulders and his soft mouth, his strong hands and the roundness of his cheeks. Stiles desperately wanted to understand him but knew they weren't there. At least not yet, anyway. He scooted his way across the bed and then draped himself over Derek.

“What’re you doing, weirdo?” Derek mumbled. He opened one eye.

“Cold.”

“Blankets?”

“You are better looking.” Stiles said. He gently bit the muscle on Derek’s shoulder.

Derek hummed and closed his eye and there was a smile on his face. “I am, aren’t I?”

“Oh, man. I am going to compliment the shit out of you if it makes you look like that.”

“Like what?” Derek said.  

“Soft. Content. Well cared for.”

“I just had sex four-”

“Five.”

“I just had sex five times for the first time in a really long time. That might have something to do with it.” Derek said and pushed his butt into Stiles’ dick.

 _Alphas_.

“So are you saying all I have to do is keep you sexed up and you’ll look like this all the time?” Stiles asked and nestled even deeper into Derek’s warmth.

“It would probably help.” Derek said.

“Have I ever told you that you might have the most amazing ass I’ve ever seen? It’s pornographic.” Stiles said and reached down and squeezed the thick muscle under his hips.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were here just for my body.” Derek said and there was only the slightest hint of self doubt in his words.

Stiles hummed. “You’re broken.” He said softly and trailed his hands down his side. “You’re broken.” He repeated. The words surprised him and Derek went deadly still underneath him.

“If this is your idea of pillow talk, I think you need to go read some romance novels.” Derek said and there was only a slight tremor in his voice.

“I can’t save you.” Stiles said and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “I don’t want to.”

“What are you-” Derek started and tried to push Stiles off and roll over.

“Sh.” Stiles said. He stroked one hand down Derek’s side. “It’s easier this way. Not to look at me. Ok?”

Derek stilled but didn’t reply.

“When I was thirteen years old, I was on a mission with my mom. We were found out. They beat us. I was knocked out and the last thing I remember hearing is my mom saying, ‘I love-’ and then I lost consciousness. She didn’t have to finish the sentence, you know. It was always the same thing, the rock that I held onto. She loved me. I loved her. My dad loved us and we loved him. It was us.” Stiles whispered in Derek’s ear. Stiles could feel the tremors in his body as he spoke. “The last word my mom ever said was the word _love._  Sometimes, when it gets real dark, I think about that. The last word she ever gave me. Love.” Stiles turned his head away and wiped his face. He sniffed. Derek reached for his hand. “That one word could stand on its own, you know? It’s four fucking letters and you can hear it repeated until it makes no sense and you still want more and more and more. But the worst part of it is that for a long time, that word was fucking ruined for me because I could hear her screaming every time someone said it to me. I was tied to a post and had to listen to her for hours. Hours and hours of listening to her cry and scream and beg. I don’t know what they did to her and I never want to know.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Derek asked.

“Because for a long time, for a really long time, I was stuck. I was stuck to that post, tied there, listening to my mom die. Even after I was cut loose, pulled from the rubble, taken home, and buried what was left of her, I was tied to that post for years. It wasn’t until Liam, of all fucking people, looked at me and asked me why I hadn’t cried for my mom. And it was like someone had torn out my tongue. I couldn’t cry because they would offer me comfort and I didn’t deserve that because I should have rescued her. I was stuck. I wanted revenge more than I wanted my own life. And my mom would have been ashamed of me. And I can’t let her be ashamed of me. I want her to be proud of me every day. I want to work to be the man that she would be proud to introduce as _her_ son.”

Derek let out a breath and he tried to shift away from Stiles but it was pointless. He might be mostly human but he was still the super secret spy agent dude.

Stiles wound his arms around Derek’s chest and held him close, so that his right hand was over Derek’s heart and his mouth was pressed to Derek’s ear.

“You have to untie yourself from that post, Derek. You don’t have to listen to them die forever.”

“Don’t-” Derek whispered and he felt rather than heard his own voice crack.

“We got all the monsters in the dark that killed them. They’re all dead and gone. You can untie yourself from that now.” Stiles heard his own voice crack and the tears catch in his lashes. “I can kill every monster that comes for us, I can rescue you every time something tries to take you from me but you are the only one who can untie yourself. I can’t rescue you from that. I don’t want to. I want you to do it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Derek nodded. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Then you aren’t ready.” Stiles whispered and he held on tighter. “And I want you to be ready, Derek, I want you here with me more than anything I’ve ever wanted. I want to hold you all the time, I want to make you smile, I want to have silly, stupid sex jokes with you. I want you to make that unfortunate look at me when I tell you I love you and hear you sigh tragically, and say, _I love you too, moron_. But if you aren’t ready, I can wait.”

Derek was silent for a few moments and Stiles closed his eyes and waited.

“I want to be here. I want stupid sex jokes with you. I want to be tragically in love with you. Without the tragedy.”

Stiles nodded. “Good. Me too.” He paused. “Is it inappropriate to ask to fuck you now?”

“No, I don’t think so.”


	20. Epilogue

Two months later, John sat in the Director’s office and fidgeted with his keys. She looked up from her computer over the tops of her glasses and met his eyes. “You sure about this?” She asked. “This is permanent, John.” 

He nodded. “Claudia would have wanted this.” 

The Director frowned but nodded. “My daughter was a bit of a wild card but she always wanted what was best for Stiles.” She said softly. “If this is what he wants to, if  _ Hale _ is who he wants, then-” She spread her hands wide over the paperwork that covered her normally pristine desk, “Who am I to stand in the way?”

John smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s the same thing you said to Claudia and I.” 

She smiled. “Dismissed.” She said softly. 

John left the room. 

Outside, Stiles stood up. John clapped him on the shoulders and nodded. He left the room through the glass door without speaking to another member of the team. 

“Stiles!” The Director called. 

Stiles looked to Derek who looked terrified. Stiles imagined he looked much the same way. But he stood straight and went through the open door. 

He let himself look around for a moment, at the large open room, the small bar in the corner, the two huge couches that faced each other over a coffee table he had brained himself on more times than he could remember. 

This place was home. Unconventional, but it held memories of his mother and all the times that he spent here with her. He could remember breaking a pen on his brand new pants and hiding under his grandmother’s desk, waiting for his mother’s wrath.

“Here we are.” She said. 

Stiles smiled at her. 

“So we have a whole new identity setup for you. Stiles Stilinski. Brand new graduate of Stanford university, currently working at LogiCo as an analyst.” She said, reading off a sheet of papers. “You have a loft at 4747 E Industrial Ln, Beacon Hills, California.” She gave him a small smile. “Are you sure about this, sweetie? It’s permanent. You’ll have to learn a whole new way of living. You can’t pick up and leave when you want to. There will be obligations. And then there’s the nemeton, the literal beacon of Beacon Hills. It’s waking up and it’s calling things, Stiles.” 

Stiles nodded. “I know. We’ve talked this over and over and over. I haven’t asked for a permanent station before because there wasn’t anything tying me to anything else. But now-” Stiles shrugged.

“Now you have Hale.” The Director finished. 

“Do I?” Stiles wondered out loud. “Or does he have me?” 

The Director rolled her eyes. “I know when someone is head over heels in love for one of my own. And that boy is so far gone-” Much to Stiles’ surprise, he saw tears brimming in her eyes. 

“Nana.” He chided but went to her side of the desk and wrapped her up in a hug.

“It’s dangerous out there.” She said. “And I can’t always be at your beck and call.” 

“Yes you can.” He said. She swatted at him. 

“Your mother would have loved him, sweetie.” She said. 

“I know.” Stiles said. She pushed him away after a moment and Stiles went back to his side of the desk. She pushed over a packet and when he opened it, there was credit cards, a passport, and a stack of thick bills. He held it up to her. “I’ve got money.” 

“Untraceable go money, just in case.” She said. 

“So, is it just me…?” He asked. 

“No.” The Director said. “I’m sending you out there, but not alone. The Sheriff will be with you. As will your squad.” 

Stiles let out a long breath. Sure, he could handle leaving home, but leaving his brothers and sisters would have been impossible. “Oh thank god.” 

“Chuck sends his regards.” The Director said primly. “Your plane leaves in three hours.” 

Stiles stood. “Thanks, Nana.” He said. 

“I’ll be by for both Christmas and Thanksgiving.” She informed him. 

He gave her a smile as he left the room. 

“Hale!” She called out. 

Derek stood and wiped his hands on his jeans. Stiles came up to him and straightened his collar, smoothed his tie down, and gave him a small kiss. Derek opened his mouth to ask but Stiles shook his head and walked away. 

Derek turned to watch him walk out of the door before turning back to the open door and walking through. He closed the door behind him gently, remembering the first six times that he broke the Director’s door handle and the last time she had closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Derek Hale.” She said coolly. She didn’t look up at him but instead down at the papers in front of her. “It seems like you have yourself in a bit of a situation.” 

“I do?” Derek asked. 

“Indeed.” The Director said. “An alpha without a pack, a civilian who knows way too much about government operations, and in love with your country’s greatest and deadliest weapon.” 

Derek opened his mouth to say but the Director cut him off before he could even think of anything. 

“The basilisk in New Jersey, the ghouls in Louisiana, that alligator thing in Florida-” They both shuddered at that one, “The pack negotiations in New Mexico, the vampire nest in Wisconsin, the poltergeist in Maryland, the griffin in Indiana…” With each case, the Director put a picture of the target down, “You have taken nine cases and solved all nine of them. You display a natural leadership in the squad and because of werewolf hierarchies, they defer to you.” 

“I think they defer to Stiles more than me.” Derek said. 

“Maybe so.” She said and nodded. “But if you were to officially make them pack, they would defer to you first.”

“I haven’t filled out the paperwork.” Derek said lamely. 

The Director regarded him over her glasses. “Why not?” 

“I can’t take someone’s place like I’ve been here for years. That’s Stiles’ place, John’s place, hell maybe even Boyd’s.” Derek said. “I can’t just walk into someone’s ready made family like I own the place.”

“But you are the alpha, am I right? In each of these cases, you put the pack before yourself, made the hard calls, made sure no one was left behind, right?” The Director said. “When the vamps took Malia and Liam, you volunteered to take their place when you negotiated with them. You didn’t even consult with anyone.” 

“It’s my life for theirs.” Derek said, remembering what his mother used to say. 

The Director sat back and looked out the large pane of windows. The city bustled below them. “Finish your paperwork, the pack is yours.” The Director said. “That’s an order. If you have plans to stay with my grandson, you are part of this completely or not at all. Are we clear, Alpha Hale?” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

She pushed a packet towards him and he pulled it out. The last thing that tumbled out was a badge, the same as Stiles and the rest of the squad, something Derek had been incredibly jealous of for the past two months. He flipped it open and smiled. “Thank you.” He said. 

She stood and held out her hand. He shook it. 

“Aren’t you going to ask?” The Director said. 

“Ask what?” 

“Your code name.” 

Derek hesitated. 

“Derek Hale, code name, Arthur.” The Director said. She paused and gave him a small smile that looked so much like Stiles. “They found you.”

***

Stiles and Derek parked in front of the loft on the first day of summer. 

“They really just go and do things without asking, don’t they?” Derek said out loud. 

“Oh come on. This building needed a facelift.” Stiles said as they got out. 

“Facelift?” Malia asked. “I’m surprised they didn’t tear it down and start all over.” She had stepped out of her truck and joined the two of them. 

“It wasn’t that bad.” Erica said when she joined them. “Which one is ours?” 

“Second floor, east side.” Boyd said. 

“I have the second floor, west side.” Malia said. 

“Third floor, east side.” Liam said and dropped his bag. 

“Third floor, middle.” Mason said and frowned at the decrepit parking lot around them. “Can we get someone out here to fix this?” 

“Third floor, west side.” Isaac said. “And no. We don’t want to give people a reason to show up.” 

“Where are we?” Stiles asked. 

“Fourth floor.” Derek said. “Come on.” 

He opened the front door and pressed his palm to the biometric palm lock, heard a soft female voice announce, “Alpha Derek Hale, Code Name, Arthur. Approved.” 

As each member of the team stepped through the door, the same voice announced them.

Inside was a completely different story. Behind the front desk, Lydia sat, a headset over her perfect curls. She raised a hand to them and smiled. “Yes, Director, they’ve just arrived.” She said smoothly. She turned to a set of computer monitors to her left and began clicking and typing. “I will tell them at this morning’s meeting.” She said. She hummed. “The matrices had yet to indicate that, but I will be happy to look into it.” She smiled. “You too, ma’am.” 

“Holy shit.” Derek whispered. 

Everything was gleaming and shining. It was sleek, modern, and sophisticated, the complete opposite of everything outside. There were accents of chrome and glass while all the furniture was dark gray and soft looking. The huge desk that Lydia sat behind was polished concrete, with the words  _ Hale & Stilinski  _ in a small font with the logo of  _ LogiCo _ in much bigger letters just below their names. To their right was an office with Derek’s name on it, emblazoned with the triskele. An office just opposite with Stiles’ name, also with the triskele, gleamed, like it was just waiting for their arrival. 

Chris and the Sheriff came out of an office, Allison and Scott on their heels. “Derek, good. You’re here.” Chris said and pointed at a conference room. There was a TV with a map of the US lit up on. 

“We’ve got movement on the Alpha Pack.” John said.  

“Derek, I need your opinion on some weapons upgrades.” Allison said. 

“Derek, we have a new family moving into town,” Scott looked down at a folder in his hands, “The Yukimura family. Did I pronounce that right?” He asked Allison and showed her the file. She nodded. “Anyway, they are off the charts in SE energy and I need to know how to proceed.” 

“Derek, there is a poltergeist in the library that is terrorizing the kids during story time and put a janitor in the hospital last night.” Lydia said and tapped the headset in her ear, “I’ve got the head librarian on the phone.” 

“Oh, and also-” Allison opened another file. “Jennifer Blake. She is a poorly glamoured druid. She hasn’t done anything yet, but all her movements are pointing to her trying to get to the nemeton.”

Everyone turned to Derek and it felt like they were on the edge of a cliff, waiting to just dive in. 

Derek grinned and gave them all a proverbial push.

“Boyd, Erica, look into the weapons. We’ll meet at ten in my office.” Derek said. “Mason, Liam, see what you can find out about the Yukimura family, we’ll meet at eleven.”

Allison led Boyd and Erica away, and they spoke in soft tones as they stepped into an elevator. Mason and Liam left too, down a hall, in search of their offices.

Lydia was typing something into a tablet before she handed it over to Derek. It was his schedule.

“Malia, the poltergeist?” Derek asked. 

“On it, where do I put my bag?” She asked. 

“I’ll take it to your office.” Scott said. She handed it over and rushed out.

“Stiles, the shitty druid?” Derek asked. 

“Yup.” He said and turned to his office then paused with his hand on the door. “Lunch?” 

Derek gave him a small smile. “Of course.”  

“Ok, Chris.” Derek said and caught Isaac’s eye as he  followed him into the conference room. Isaac followed in after John. “What have we got?”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you can take alpha Derek from my dead cold hands. Also, awesome big brother Derek. Also, bad ass Stiles. Also, willing to learn Allison. Also, Lydia finding brothers and sisters. And the whole pack alive and super bad ass and John (his name is John, I don't care what they say) being a proud, bad ass dad.


End file.
